


Then and Now

by iceiceiceiceice



Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: Childhood Friends, Drama, F/M, Friends to Enemies, Friends to Lovers, Host Clubs, Rivalry, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2020-10-03 23:29:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 27,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20461298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iceiceiceiceice/pseuds/iceiceiceiceice
Summary: Kyoya and Sakura have been at each other's throats for as long as most could remember though nobody knows why. Their families worked and socialized closely, no? From petty taunts to their rival host clubs, everyone could see it. The Shadow King versus the Red Queen... Why are they fighting in the first place? And more importantly, who will win?





	1. Then

**Author's Note:**

> this story was originally published on fanfiction.net
> 
> disclaimer: I do not own the Ouran High School Host Club series, all credits of canon elements go to the creators

_The young boy had always been a light sleeper so when there was a soft knock on his door, accompanied by a hushed whisper of his name, he easily woke up. Despite being only twelve years old, Kyoya was already smart enough to immediately figure out whom it was that dared interrupt his slumber in the middle of the night. So he slowly crawled out of bed and dragged his feet across the room to the door—where the persistent knocking had continued._

_He opened it to reveal a girl about his height with a hand lifted halfway through knocking for what felt like the millionth time. Even with his eyes half lidded, he knew who it was. "What do you want, Sakura?" Usually, he'd been even grumpier at being woken up, maybe would've snapped to be left alone, but he knew from experience that it wouldn't work on her._

_Her bright blue eyes shone through the darkness, sparkling with mischief. "Kyo!" She grabbed his hand. "Let's go play outside."_

_Kyoya deadpanned. This wouldn't be the first time that brat of a childhood friend did this to him. Whenever she couldn't sleep, she'd wake _him_ right up to stay awake with her. It used to be kind of fun back when they were younger but now he was unsure. "No."_

_Already starting to drag him out of his room, she stopped and turned her head, her dark red hair swinging with the momentum. Her smile dropped. "No?"_

_"_No_," he repeated, pushing his glasses up his nose._

_But then Sakura's pout turned into a smirk, a smirk that indicated she had a trump card up her sleeve. As always. "You know, Kyo, my mom is still trying to figure out who broke that expensive vase earlier. Now it _could_ have been a bird that flew in but I have photographic evidence that it wasn't," she practically sang._

_The raven-haired boy froze. "You wouldn't."_

_"Oh, I would." Sakura nodded, waving the camera she had always kept on her since she got it. That camera documented a lot of their antics. "What a clumsy boy you are, Kyoya..."_

_"_You_ were the one who took my glasses, Sakura!"_

_"And defensive! They wouldn't be able to tell that from a freeze frame though."_

_A pause grew before the boy sighed, rolling his eyes. "Fine..."_

_Just like that, the two preteens, still in their pajamas, sneaked out of the lake house and sat in the backyard as was their usual spot. Their families were particularly close friends so Akagi Sakura and Ootori Kyoya spent a lot of their childhood around each other._

_From dinner parties to country clubs, the two aristocrats met formally and informally. That particular summer, the two families visited the Akagi's private lake house._

_As usual, the redhead plopped down onto the grass to stare up at the starry sky and Kyoya joined beside her. "You know, you could try doing this by yourself instead," he pointed out dryly before yawning and curling up on the grass as if it were his warm bed back in one of the guest rooms. "What would you do without me?"_

_"But, Kyo, we used to do this together all the time!" She didn't look at him. The stars held her gaze. A view like this was difficult to find in the city where they lived... But her friend had her undivided attention, as he always did. "You're not turning into a chicken now, are you?"_

_"Am not," he muttered, sleepiness slowly drifting further from him._

_"It doesn't matter. I've always had way more guts than you."_

_It was Kyoya's turn to smirk. How could he let go of a direct taunt like that? "Care to put your money where your mouth is, Sakura?"_

_The girl grinned and sat up, indicating she would agree to the challenge like he expected. He sat up too, not surprised because, knowing her, she'd probably accept whatever terms he set in place. "We each have to do a dare. Loser jumps into the lake," he said calmly, confident he'd win. What was the worse she could come up with, right?_

_"Deal!" she answered immediately. Too easy. Sakura tapped her chin, her competitive nature taking over as she tried to think up a really good dare. Something he would never ever do... A light bulb went off in her head. "I dare you... to kiss me."_

_The way she declared it was like how anyone would suggest they start on dessert after a meal. Despite her casualness, Kyoya blushed bright red, almost rivaling his friend's hair colour. "Wh-what?"_

_"You heard me."_

_"I did. I was simply giving you a chance to change your mind," he said, deadpanning though the pink tint remained on his cheeks. Hopefully it was too dark for her to see that._

_Sakura glared but then brightened again. "Guess this means you're swimming tonight," she sang haughtily._

_"Okay, wait!" After a short pause, Kyoya sighed._

_Was he _seriously_ going to kiss his childhood friend? Shifting his position, he faced the girl._

_Now that he might actually do the challenge, Sakura got nervous. She didn't think he would actually go through with it! That was _why_ she dared him to it in the first place, after all. Was he being serious?! Heat rushed to her cheeks but she didn't want to be the one to back down—she was too stubborn for that. Apparently, she hadn't counted on Kyoya being equally stubborn as well._

_So she stayed still. She didn't move as the boy in front of her leaned in slowly, both too shy to say or do anything else about it. She could see the dark brown, so dark that it was usually mistaken for black, colour of his eyes from this close, even though he wasn't looking directly into hers._

_What a pretty colour. She thought those eyes were beautiful which made her mentally chide herself for romanticizing the moment._

_What was _Kyoya_ thinking?_

_But when his lips finally landed on her, they were on her left cheek, warming them further. He had changed his course at the last second. He did that on purpose! Sakura fumed. "_Kyoya!_"_

_Laughing too hard, the boy was clutching his sides. "What?" There was an oh-so-innocent smile on his face but she knew those eyes better than anyone. Sneaky jerk!_

_"You _know_ what," she accused, pouting angrily._

_"Hm, I don't think I do. Care to explain, Sakura?"_

_The redhead glared at him for a few more seconds before turning away, folding her arms across her chest. "Whatever... So what's your dare for me?"_

_"Jump into the lake."_

_The answer came way too quickly for her liking. "What?! No fair! That doesn't even make sense!"_

_"Sure, it does." Those eyes again. Those eyes that said he had planned this all along._

_There was no way to win. With a loud _hmph_, Sakura got to her feet and started to walk to the edge of the lake in a very dignified manner. But her raven-haired friend grabbed her hand then, chuckling to himself, "Sakura, wait. I'll cut you a deal. How about I give you a different dare?" He had stood too._

_After getting over her confusion, she turned to face him properly._

_"I dare you to delete that incriminating video on that camera and every copy you have of it."_

_Ah, so _that_ was his real plan. With a sigh, the redhead picked up her camera from the ground and deleted the video. She showed him the screen as proof. "That was the only copy. Happy?"_

_"Very."_

_"Manipulative jerk..."_

_"Said the one who blackmailed me to come outside with her." He gave her a knowing look, fixing the glasses on his face._

_"Yes, but you love me." Sakura batted her eyelashes playfully and put on a Cheshire cat-like grin._

_Kyoya smirked. "Maybe. Can we go back inside now?"_

_ **[ [cover](https://ultraimg.com/images/2019/08/31/Z7Fg.png) & [image source](https://www.zerochan.net/1929302) ]** _


	2. Now

A sheet of paper was placed onto her table. The redheaded girl looked up to see the teacher who was smiling down at her. "Good job, Akagi! Keep this up and you might even do better than Ootori next time," the kindly older man praised before moving on to another student.

Sakura moved her eyes to the Physics test on her desk, barely enough questions on it to use up more than two pages of paper. There was a large red _ A _ written at the top, right above where she had written her name. That was something she was used to so she looked at the score next to it... 12 out of 15 marks.

The teacher was right, she was getting better and better. Physics had been one of her weaker subjects but apparently, not anymore.

Good. But was it good enough?

There was no malice behind the teacher's words but they irked Sakura nonetheless.

When everyone had their test papers back, a small crowd formed around the girl. She knew what they wanted so allowed them to see her paper in pointless awe. She herself was more interested in something else going on in the room.

Another small group had gathered at where she knew to be Kyoya's desk. He was only about two seats away from her, to her right—an unfortunate outcome of assigned seating.

Many of their classmates were curious to know his marks too.

It was just a pop quiz. Kyoya didn't see what the big deal was about scoring a 14 out of 15. But, feeling eyes on him, he turned his head to see Sakura already watching him. Dark onyx eyes met bright blue ones. He smirked. She gave a smile that was anything but friendly.

"Sakura," he called out without needing to raise his voice. The respective crowds around them quietened. "How did you do?"

"12." Her voice came out devoid of emotion. And she didn't need to return the question. She knew.

He made a sound that could only be heard as a condescending _ hm_. "What a shame..."

The girl scowled before putting on that fake grin again.

Though what was the point of that anyway? Everyone already knew these two despised each other so why pretend differently?

Granted, they didn't always do this but sometimes, they acted like there like was no rivalry. Through gritted teeth, they pretended to play nice. So that was why she shrugged nonchalantly and played with the end of her ponytail. "Well, I had to let you win at _ something_, Kyoya."

Her classmate's smirk twitched just a little and to anyone who didn't bother to observe him so closely, they might've not noticed the slight falter. But she noticed. It made her feel so much better knowing he was even at all fazed.

Kyoya pushed his glasses further up his nose. "Sympathy? I guess the Red Queen has a heart, after all."

"You're pampered enough as it is. Don't get used to it."

"I wasn't planning to so don't worry."

"I'm not worried." The retort was unnecessary and petty, much like most of the conversation itself. Indeed, Sakura wasn't worried the other would go soft. That was impossible.

Ootori Kyoya was a cold and emotionless creature and that wasn't going to change any time soon, she knew.

And indeed, the boy didn't expect any kindness from her either. So when the next lesson rolled around, Physical Education, and the teacher announced they would be playing dodgeball co-ed that day, Kyoya watched out for her. She had a good left arm, that girl... Kyoya didn't slack off either.

It was a boys versus girls game and both easily took charge of their respective teams.

Sakura played with full vigour, knowing her rival was probably leading of the other side, what with his manipulative ways and all. This was _ war_. The gymnasium they were in was the battlefield. She threw the basketballs across the room like they were her weapons which, in a way, they were and they took down the enemy one by one. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say most of her shots connected effectively.

On the other side, Kyoya was doing much the same. Both were strategic in attack and defensive maneuvers. It was chaos in the room—sport shoes squeaking on the polished floor, bouncing balls echoing throughout the room, as well as the yelling and taunting voices of the students themselves. It was easy to lose oneself in such a moment.

In fact, when it came to the last two standing, they barely realized it. The raven-haired boy held a basketball in his hands, staring down the person across the gym. Sakura blinked at him, waiting oh-so patiently.

Both were panting then, probably more than they should be but if they didn't exert their bodies, the other wouldn't extend the same courtesy. No doubt about it.

They stared each other down. The rest of their classmates were all sitting on the bleachers, by then. They were stuck there until the game ended or the class did, whichever came first. Some students watched intently while the others would rather chat among themselves or something. This wasn't exactly a rare occurrence.

But what happened around Sakura and Kyoya wasn't important enough to them to notice anyway.

They were in the zone. It was one of those rare moments that the Shadow King could actually be seen glaring. They both wanted to win.

"Come on," she hollered to him tauntingly. "Any time before the seasons change, please!"

"You've always been impatient, Sakura," he said back, smirking and shaking his head.

The girl pouted angrily. "Well, you've always brought out the worst in me."

"The feeling is mutual."

Right then, a ball flew straight at Sakura. Smart move. He had tried to distract her with taunts and conversation to lower her guard. So when he did throw the basketball, it had the element of surprise. This would've been a better plan if the redhead hadn't expected it. Her senses on hyper alert, she noticed how his arm swung back a little, further than it normally should.

The ball rushed at her. Swiftly, she dodged it and grabbed the ball. It was her turn to smirk then. Sakura lifted the ball over her head and cheered.

A few cheers sounded from the bleachers too, from those who were still paying the so-called match any attention.

But really, this wasn't that big of a deal. They were being a tad bit melodramatic... But then again, what else would you expect from two of Ouran's hosts?

Still, Kyoya's best friend Tamaki was getting tired of this play already. What was up with them? Didn't all these fights just drain them? But he let Kyoya do as he pleased about his rival. Kyoya and Sakura were both smart, alternating the two spots at the top of the class every so often, so they'll figure it out eventually.

As he walked past her, Kyoya couldn't resist saying, "Well, I had to let you win at something."


	3. Then

_It was nighttime at the newly opened hospital owned by the Ootori cooperation and the ceremony was grand—marvelous, in fact, as was written in an article in the next day's newspaper. Many aristocratic families were there to attend, showing their charitable nature, be it for publicity or otherwise. The food was good and the music was fine so what wasn't to like?_

_Fourteen year old Kyoya could list a few, actually. An Ootori, his attendance was more than mandatory..._

_This was a social event so naturally, he would have to socialize. But frankly, he didn't quite enjoy these events. He was the youngest in his family and the guests, especially the older ones, treated him like a child too! The most he usually got was small talk which wasn't really that great, in his opinion. Too polite, too idle, too _uninteresting_._

_When he finally grew too tired of it, he said a polite farewell to the elderly lady he was talking to and went over to where he saw Sakura sitting by herself at the table reserved for her family. Sighing, he dropped himself heavily into the empty seat next to her._

_She had gotten too tired to mingle anymore and went to sit down. The pretty black dress complimented her features nicely but the heeled shoes really wore her out. When her friend approached though, she brightened immediately and grinned. "I'm proud. You lasted much longer than last time, Kyo."_

_"Hm," he hummed, tugging on the necktie on his new suit. "I get good practice from tolerating you."_

_"And yet, you're here," she pointed out, smirking._

_The boy smiled too. "The lesser of two evils, Sakura." With another sigh, he leaned back in his chair, almost hanging his head back. "Additionally, I was seeking a more intelligent conversation. I trust that is not too much for you to would provide?"_

_"I live to serve."_

_Conversation came easily to them, the way it would to any pair who had known each other for a long time. They didn't spend as much time with each other as they used to, especially at school, but things were simpler when they were alone. No need to keep up polite appearances when both considered themselves superior above average._

_They had endured too much teasing in their childhood to repeat the same mistake in middle school. People found it hard to believe a boy and girl could be friends without romantic feelings developing._

_"Where's your boyfriend?" Kyoya asked as they somehow got to talking about relationships._

_The redhead groaned, rolling her eyes. "Shut up, Kyo. You know my dad just wants me to make nice. Nakamura-san is socializing somewhere I don't care to know."_

_"Good. Because _Nakamura Sakura_ would sound terrible."_

_"Wha— Marriage is a long way away, stupid!" She laughed._

_The boy pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "You should probably start now though, before your cuteness disappears."_

_"You think I'm cute?"_

_"Wh— That's your takeaway?"_

_"Fine." Sakura shrugged, the smug smile still on her lips. "Let's discuss the practically of a relationship then, you nerd."_

_"A relationship _isn't_ practical," he told her._

_Eyes narrowed, she stuck her tongue out at him. "It can be. People marry for money and convenience all the time. While I prefer a romance more, well, romantic, I do admit there are pros and cons to the commitment which need to be weighed in."_

_"You have to keep your partner happy all the time, expected to give in and compromise on everything. The temporary joy can't be worth it." Dark brown eyes rolled as he folded his arms._

_"It is!" the other insisted excitedly. "Indulge me for a moment, Kyo... If you have feelings for the person, you'd gladly be committed to each other. You get to do fun things together, just chatting could cheer you up and kissing releases happy hormones in the brain!"_

_"I already do all that with you," Kyoya pointed out before something sank in He added quickly, "Except that last one."_

_She pouted. "Yeah, but... it's different when you're in a relationship. What we do is purely platonic. That's not enough. Everything's better with a little romance in the mix."_

_The boy froze. Did she just say what he thought she said? The fingers of one hand drummed on the opposite arm while he contemplated the notion. "Shall we then?"_

_"Shall we what?"_

_"You're really making me say it?"_

_"Say _what_, Kyo?"_

_He sighed. "Let's start dating." He looked away in a carefully subtle way though the blush on his cheeks gave his emotions away. The lack of a response made him look back though and he saw the same blush across his friend's features. This made him feel slightly better._

_"You're not serious, are you?" It was real question, accompanied by a quirked eyebrow._

_"Why not?"_

_"We've been friends forever!"_

_"A good history makes it more convenient, no?" he mused, growing more certain of himself with every word. "Sakura, you want a boyfriend and I'm kind of curious about having a significant other too."_

_"W-we don't even _like_ each other that way."_

_"We can try to. We've just never considered it before."_

_The redhead bit her bottom lip hesitantly. "I guess so... We do get along so we could be compatible..." Was she being _serious_? Could she really go along with this? Realizing her indirect agreement, she hurriedly said, "But we call it off if it doesn't work out!"_

_"Of course."_

_"And we keep it a secret."_

_"Why?"_

_"Just in case! We'll give it a trial run for a while... If it ends up a disaster, no one needs to know. Ever. No harm done." Sakura nodded affirmatively, making up her mind._

_The idea of dating their best friend was kind of weird but they were going about it in a practical way. That should ease the needlessly emotional parts... Plus, they knew how each other worked so it shouldn't be too complicated, right? They could even have fun with this._

_Right?_

_"By the way, if we're really doing this, I expect actual kisses from you, Kyo, on the _lips_. Not that crap you pulled that time at the lake house." Sakura glared._

_The other smirked. "I _knew_ that bothered you. Relax, Sakura. I wouldn't do something if I didn't think it'll be worth it."_

_"And I wouldn't do anything half-assed."_

_"I know that from experience, brat."_

_The redhead punched his arm though she grinned. "You shouldn't be bullying your girlfriend."_

_"I was only teasing," Kyoya cooed at her, rubbing the part she punched. The reality of the situation sank in with that fist. Oh wow, he was really going to date his oldest friend... He wondered if that was strange to say. Then he wondered if she shared his thoughts. They usually did._

_And it was this fact that reassured both sides. First and foremost, they were friends._


	4. Now

"Sakura!"

The cry sounded immediately when she stepped through the doors into Music Room 2. A girl with dark brown hair rushed towards and then hid behind her, as if using her body as a shield. Sakura raised an eyebrow at her. "Uhm, Rin, what are you doing?"

The girl named Rin scowled at something in front of them. "It's not what _ I'm _ doing. It's what Hana—" She cut herself short with a curse before ducking behind her friend again.

Sakura turned her head to look where the other had and saw Hanako skipping cheerily to them. "Sakura-senpai! And I know you're back there, Rin-senpai," she sang.

"There is no way I am putting it on, Hana!"

"Put _ what _ on?" Sakura asked exasperatedly, tired of being left in the dark. Besides, the other two were already wearing their hostess uniforms unlike her so what was the problem?

Hanako lifted the set of cat-ear headbands in her hands. "I thought we could dress up like cute kitties today, senpai!" she explained eagerly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. One headband was already on her head and she started to reach out to put one on Sakura too.

"No." The redhead pushed the hand away from her head. "Where are Aya and Erika?"

Hearing her name, Erika came over from cleaning a table. She nudged the other girl sitting at the table to follow her over to their club president. "Hey, Sakura."

"You agreed to this too?" Sakura deadpanned, seeing the neko accessories on their heads too.

Sheepishly, Aya rubbed the fake furry ears resting in her hair. It looked quite real on her, actually, due to the curls of her blonde hair hiding the headband itself. "I-I thought they looked cute..."

"Hana's new here," explained Erika calmly. She touched the headband in her own black hair. "I figured we could entertain some of her ideas."

Sakura sighed. "Girls, take them off. Everything goes as usual today—no surprises." With that, she started walking over to the changing room to put on her hostess uniform as well.

Hanako peered after her, as did the others. "Sakura-senpai seems... a little upset today." She was only recruited this year and barely knew the others but... the president had always seemed quite fun, in her opinion. The difference in behaviour came as a surprise to her.

Pulling off the neko-ears, Erika sighed. "She must've lost something to Kyoya-san today. That always puts Sakura in a foul mood."

"Oh right... There was that Physics test," Aya noted with a nod. She was only one of them who shared the same class as Sakura.

"Well this will probably last about a day or two." Erika rolled her eyes as she made her way back to the tables.

Rin, let out a triumphant whoop, fist pumping the air. "Well, thank you, Kyoya!" Smirking, she stuck her tongue out at Hanako. "I, for one, have always liked a little rivalry and if that wasn't good timing, I don't know what is."

Hanako pouted. "Tomorrow then, when our president is in a better mood."

"I told you, the Hostess club does not play dress up!" Rin snapped though the other was no longer listening. Aya giggled at them. These two argued almost as much as Sakura and Kyoya competed for... well, nobody really knew what they were fighting about.

What the tomboy said was true though.

The Ouran High School Host Club was admittedly one of the most popular clubs on campus, though most of it was made up by the clientele—students who just had way too much money and time on their hands. But no one could deny the allure the club had... The hosts were fun and entertaining but the club really only catered to the female students of the school.

So where do the boys go if they were looking for attentive conversation?

The answer came when Akagi Sakura started her own Hostess Club not long after the other was formed. Located right next door in Music Room 2, clients were welcome to spend their evenings with their pick from an array of hostesses of different types. Unlike the Host Club, the hostesses didn't wear themed costumes though they do decorate the club room occasionally.

It was more of a cafe than a club, what with the coffee mini bar and wooden tables and chairs arranged like an authentic cafe. Nonetheless, they were a school club, just like the other, so a Hostess Club they were. Unlike the Host Club though, staying in school uniform would look quite silly considering Ouran's school uniform for girls in high school made them look like a cream puff...

So they had their own uniforms. The long-sleeved blouses and knee-length black skirts were pretty without being extravagant and it appealed enough to the clients, if their compliments were any indication.

"You look so cute in your uniform, Aya," said one boy that day.

Said girl blushed and looked away, tugging on the cuffs on her sleeves over her hands. "Th-thank you, senpai." The shy type hostess was often requested by older students and she knew they liked it when she called them _senpai_.

Chuckling, the boy on her other side gripped her chin and lifted it so they faced each other. "Hey, now, don't hide that adorable smile of yours!"

Aya blushed even brighter, if that was possible, but did smile and played with the tip of her blonde hair nervously. Her regulars just loved making her flustered... But Sakura knew she didn't mind it all too much. Besides, if they ever stepped out of line, her fellow hosts would put the offender in his place.

Especially Rin. The sporty girl was the tomboyish and confident type which was unexpectedly popular too. Not every boy wanted their ego fed and actually liked her fierce nature. They really get a taste of that at the pool table where she usually took her clients.

"I win!" wasn't a rare declaration from her.

The boy she was playing with laughed, not at all embarrassed by the fact that he lost again. How could he be? There was an undeniable sexual tension in competition, as Sakura knew too well. "Only because I let you," he teased.

Rin smirked, leaning on her pool stick. "Oh yeah? How about another game then?"

"Bring it on, sweet cheeks."

"And don't you dare take it easy on me," she told him, punching his arm lightly. "I can handle anything you got."

Normally, the girl preferred outdoor games like basketball and such but after Sakura beat her at a round of pool, she found she actually liked the game. As a hostess, she got access to the table any time she wanted which couldn't be said the same for the clients. Games weren't thing only things they paid for too. Desserts were almost a requirement when one requested Erika.

She may be the natural type but the black-haired girl made full use of her ridiculously high metabolism—which never failed to surprise her clients. "Wow, Erika," one said, as this was his first time at the Hostess Club. "Y-you can really eat a lot."

The girl paused, lowering her fork which had a piece of cake on it. "Yeah..." She gave a lopsided smile, poking at her third slice of cake. "My mother used to give me sweets when she got home. But this was before, uhm, she started working later and... later..." This story was the same one she gave everyone who questioned her appetite. It was one that used to make her sad but Sakura had helped her achieve closure. Now she chose to use it to her advantage instead.

As if she realized drifting off, Erika tried to smile. "Whoops, sorry! Was that weird?"

"No, not at all!" the boy said frantically, a warm sympathetic smile spreading across his face.

There was another boy next to him and he wore the same look of sympathy. "Tell you what, the next round is on me." Raising his arm, he called to the hostess serving the guests. "Hey, Hanako, can we get another three slices of cake here, please?"

Telling the client she was entertaining to wait a moment, the girl with short light brown hair skipped towards them. Staying true to her perky type persona, she pouted playfully, hugging a circular tray to her chest. "I told you, senpai... call me Hana-chan!"

The boy laughed warmly. "Alright, Hana-chan."

"Yay! What would you like?"

The newcomer turned to the hostess his friend had recommended to him. "Erika? What do you want?"

Hanako's usual smile dropped just a little as she turned to the older hostess, concern etching her features. Finishing that earlier piece of cake, Erika pretended to think about her answer with the tip of the fork still between her lips. "Hm, I guess I'm craving red velvet. That was the last cake my mother bought me for my birthday..." She smiled to herself.

That warmed all their hearts and even brought Hana close to tears. "Oh, Erika-senpai!" She pulled the other girl into her embrace, hugging tightly.

"H-Hey, Hana..."

"No! You call me Hana-chan too!" she demanded.

"Why?"

Hanako pulled back but didn't detach herself so their faces were mere inches away. "Because you mean a lot to me, senpai!" She bit her lip before speaking again. "D-don't you feel the same?"

The black-haired girl looked surprised but got over it quickly, she gaze softening. "You mean a lot to me too... Hana-chan," she said more calmly, the name coming out almost whispered.

Hearing the boys sigh warmly, she released Erika and stood. "I'll go get your cakes now!" She skipped towards the mini bar where the club president stood behind, watching them with a subtle smirk. "Sakura-senpai! Three slices of red velvet, please!"

Without haste, she prepared the order onto three separate plates. Away from her clients, she whispered to the brunette. "You know they have to pay for the yuri act, right?"

"Hm? Oh, that's right! Sorry, senpai, I forgot." She bowed apologetically, attracting the curious attention of the nearby boys.

"A taste is fine," Sakura assured but flicked the other hostess's forehead as she raised from her bow. "But not too much... I'll get jealous." With a teasing wink, she sent the girl off before heading back to the boy sitting on the tall stools by her bar. They served mostly coffee here and the mini bar had been sponsored by her family, as she had convinced them it would be a good investment. The Akagi family owned an international coffee company so this was technically like advertising. Erika's family supplied the desserts.

It worked. Everyone along the length of that bar—which there was usually four of, like today—and some scattered throughout the room were drinking the Akagi brand of coffee from a mug and ate pastries from Erika's family.

One boy finished his and held out his mug for a refill. The hostess obliged, pouring coffee from a larger pot. He decided to restart the conversation. "So, Sakura, I heard the club is introducing a _yuri_ package now?"

"You heard right, handsome."

"Was that it just now? You and Hana-chan looked pretty good together," another boy complimented.

"Thanks but I think we'd look even better," she cooed, gesturing between the two of them and chuckling. Sakura stood in front of the four boys. "And no, that wasn't it. If you want to see how the yuri package really is, you'll have to pay for it."

One of the more regular boys excitedly leaned over the counter slightly. She knew he liked to alternate the hosts he requested though it gave him less club benefits. "We can pair any two, right?"

"Yup!"

"How about three?"

The other boys laughed. Scoffing in amusement, Sakura slapped his arm playfully. "Someone's naughty!" She smirked and leaned on the bar too. "Yes, but do you really need any more than me? I can give or be anything you want," she whispered seductively.

A shudder went up his spine and he found himself trying to lean in closer...

"Hey, now, don't forget about me, Sakura!"

The flirty hostess straightened herself suddenly, smiling to the speaker. "Forget? I never forget, gorgeous."


	5. Then

_ "I thought you never forget anything, Sakura," he said, a smirk playing on his lips. _

_ The redhead glared at him, her cheeks almost the same colour as her hair. They had only started dating secretly for about a week now but Kyoya fell into the role of teasing boyfriend very easily, apparently. And yet, he always managed to keep his cool which made  _ her _ feel too reactive! _

_ Clicking her pen angrily, she looked down at her homework. "I don't. That's why I'm saying I never said that." _

_ The bespectacled boy was sitting across from her, on the floor, at the table where they were studying. At least, that was what their parents thought they were going to do when Sakura came by the Ootori household for a 'visit'. And they did do just that at first. An hour passed before Kyoya suddenly suggested they try kissing. _

_ "You  _ did _ say that. You said I had better give you actual kisses so I assume that means lip contact." _

_ "Kyo, you say that kind of stuff way too nonchalantly." _

_ As if to prove her statement, Kyoya simply gave her a ghost of a smile. His girlfriend, on the other hand, was blushing madly at the idea. When she looked away again, he smirked. "I must say, I don't see why you're so worked up about it." He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the couch behind him. _

_ "Forgive me for wanting my first kiss to be special," Sakura muttered with a roll of her eyes, still not getting past the question she had been staring at. Her mind was preoccupied with different thoughts. _

_ The boy paused. "Sakura, you've never been kissed before?" _

_ "No." After a moment, Sakura finally looked up. Suspicion was written in her eyes. "Have  _ you _ ? Because if you've kissed someone before me and didn't bother telling, I swear, Ootori Kyoya, I will—" _

_ "No, I haven't kissed anyone." _

_ She deadpanned at her annoyingly calm 'boyfriend'. They were fourteen already, most of her peers had kissed someone before and those that hadn't, wanted to. "I'm starting to wonder if this cool act thing you've got going on is really an act at all." _

_ "What do you mean by that?" The corners of his lips dropped the slightest bit but it went unnoticed by both parties. _

_ "I mean... don't  you want your first kiss to be special too?" _

_ "I find the sentiment of first  anythings to be quite pointless really." Kyoya shrugged, unfazed. _

_ "Cold." _

_ "Emotional," he shot back. "What makes a first special anyway?" _

_ Sakura leaned back too and sighed at him. "Oh, I don't know... The mood of the moment, I guess?" _

_ "Shouldn't the answer be the person you kiss?" _

_ She laughed then. "True but you're my experimental boyfriend, Kyoya, so that factor is ruled out for me." Sighing again, she returned her attention to her homework. _

_ But the boy had other ideas. After thinking on it for a moment, he stood and walked around the table before silently kneeling beside her. "Sakura," he said in a low voice. He gently put his hand on hers that held the pen and laced his fingers in the gaps between hers, nudging the pen away. He was asked, in a low voice, what exactly it was he was doing, to which he answered in a whisper, "Setting the mood, like you want. You know I'd do anything for you." _

_ Sakura turned her head to face him and her heart skipped a beat to see his face only inches from hers—and getting closer too! Heat rushed to her cheeks but she didn't move away. Why didn't she move away?! At least, her voice returned and thankfully, it didn't stammer. "This isn't much of a mood, Kyo." _

_ "Oh, yeah?" He chuckled lightly and she could feel his warm breath on her lips. "Then why is your pulse racing, Sakura?" _

_ That was right. The hand that had pried the pen out of her grasp had shifted its position so his thumb rested on the inside of her wrist. Sneaky jerk! But... her eyes went to his lips, then to his dark eyes which were half closed, then back to his lips as they moved to speak. _

_ "I'm doing this for you, you know?" Both of his hands went to her face. One brushed aside her vibrant red hair and the other lightly stroked her cheek. "Whatever you want, I'd do it." _

_ For once, that smug smile was clearly gone. Before she could point that out, Kyoya's lips landed on hers. It was light but the instant they made contact, she felt like butterflies erupted in her stomach. He tasted of mint and it made Sakura wonder when the last time she applied her usual cherry-flavoured lip balm was. Can he taste it? _

_ All too soon, he pulled away and, embarrassingly, Sakura actually tried to follow after him before she quickly regained her composure and retreated. _

_ The boy chuckled, leaning on one arm on the table. "Someone enjoyed that." _

_ "Sh-shut up!" She waited for her cheeks to cool and her heart to calm down. His tone was totally different than it was just seconds ago. Grr, it was so annoying! "Hmph, you weren't  _ that _ great, Kyo." _

_ "Didn't seem that way. I think I built up the moment pretty good." _

_ Sakura stuck her tongue out at him. "I wasn't talking about that, stupid. I meant the actual kissing part. I know it's your first time and all but it could've been considerably better." _

_ She sounded so haughty that Kyoya couldn't restrain an eye roll. "And you're speaking from experience, yes?' he retorted smugly. _

_ Sakura glared for a moment but then shifted her body so they could face each other. "No, but I've read enough books to know how it's supposed to feel and watched enough movies to know enough basics on how it's done." _

_ His childhood friend was always able to switch between emotions pretty easily, Kyoya reminded himself. The girl actually looked kind of excited to share her knowledge. "Alright. Tell me how a good kiss is supposed to make one feel." _

_ "Well, as I've told you, kissing can release happy hormones in the brain. It's because our lips have the highest concentration of nerve cells in our body. Er, anyway, so a good kiss should make you feel all tingly and warm your racing heart. It should make the rest of the world go away as you focus on one another!" _

_ "That sounds a  _ tad _ melodramatic." _

_ "It's meant to." _

_ Kyoya chuckled again. "Show me." _

_ "Wh— You know I've never actually done this!" _

_ "I know. But I can't be doing all the work. We're learning together, right?" _

_ Sakura pouted, nervous about taking the lead. But now that her first kiss was out of the way, the next ones should be easier, right? Besides, she wasn't about to back down now. They were still in trial period. "O-okay. You kiss me first, Kyo." _

_ "Can I skip that mood thing?" _

_ "You're killing me... Just start!" Blushing, the girl started leaning in and Kyoya followed her lead across from her. They met somewhere in the middle, their lips connecting gently. _

_ Great, her second kiss was pretty much experimental too... _

_ In any case, Sakura waited a brief moment before starting to move her lips. When Kyoya did the same, it felt better than the first time. Nothing beats a first, of course, in her opinion, but the feeling was definitely escalated in the next round. She titled her head slightly to get a better angle, deepening the kiss. _

_ Their eyes were closed by then but if they saw each other, they might've thought their relationship more than just experimental. Kyoya's shoulders were relaxed and his hands had moved to hold the other's own hands. Sakura had twined their fingers together. A shiver went up her spine as she felt a tongue swiping across her bottom lip. _

_ He could taste cherries when he did that and for some reason, it got his heart excited. Before the boy could try to take it a step further, they heard his name being called out. The couple pulled away instantly, eyes wide. _

_ "That sounded like Tamaki. Hide." _

_ Frowning, Sakura peeled them apart. "Why? We could just tell him we're only friends." _

_ Standing, Kyoya pushed his glasses up his nose. "And when was the last time anyone believed us when we said that?" He helped his girlfriend to her feet. _

_ "Right..." He had a point. Their closeness was too often teased about throughout elementary school and even now, any public interaction between two people of opposite genders would not escape catcalling. That was why they decided to act like strangers at school. _

_ It worked so far but now one of their classmates was here! _

_ Kyoya guided the girl to the door. "I thought you didn't  _ like _ Suoh-san. You said he was annoying." _

_ "I did and he is. But I have to play nice." They went out the door and down the hallway. He was taking her to the parlour. "Just like you to Nakamura-san." _

_ Sakura rolled her eyes but didn't retort. Finally they were at the parlour and she went inside. Her boyfriend remained in the doorway. "Call your driver. Wait fifteen minutes and then exit." _

_ He was closing the doors between but she stopped him by kissing his cheek suddenly. It only lasted a second but she smiled when she stepped back. "Thank you, Kyo," she said without blushing. _

_ The surprise left to be replaced by his usual calm. "Thank you too." With that, he closed the doors. _


	6. Now

"Welcome! To the Ouran High School Host—" Their chorused voices drifted off, leaving Haruhi to cut herself off in surprise. Deadpanned, she blinked at them. "Hey, what's up with you guys?" Seriously, they pretty much _forced_ her into saying that greeting every time the first client of the day walked through the doors to the Host Club.

All six hosts, which included her disguised self, would pose together and wait for someone to enter. Then they'd say their scripted welcome.

But this time, the boys looked at the entrance with an array of expressions. Their president, Tamaki was the first to snap out of it. Standing, he smiled though he still looked confused. "What are you ladies doing here?"

Haruhi frowned at the lack of flamboyance that the blonde usually spoke with. "Am I missing something here?" she whispered to her fellow hosts.

"They're the hostesses," answered Mori simply but that was all the explanation she needed. She knew what that meant.

Indeed, the girls in question were the hostesses from the rival club next door. They weren't in their usual outfits but the school's cream yellow uniforms instead. At the front of the group stood Akagi Sakura, her long red hair tied up in a ponytail and her arms folded across her chest. And a mischievous smile on her otherwise gentle features.

"I organized a club trip," she told them, as if there was nothing strange about this. But there was. Since the clubs were formed, neither members had stepped foot into the other room. It was like an unspoken rule. But now, there they were. "A Host Club seemed a fitting place to wind down at. This isn't a problem, is it, Tamaki?"

"Not at all." Smiling, the blonde called over his should to the others. "Men, you know what to do!"

Hunny bounced on the balls of his feet excitedly, tugging on Mori's sleeve to pull him towards the new guests. The Hitachiin twins had sly grins on their faces and quickly exclaimed in unision, "We call dibs on—"

Rin cleared her throat loudly, interrupting them, but it was Hanako who spoke. "Just wanted to say... We already know which hosts we're each requesting." She gave an innocent giggle, her eyes flashing to the quiet Mori for a second.

"Is that so?" Kyoya mused. Up until that statement, he had been fairly quiet for an opinionated person. He adjusted his glasses and smiled too though it nowhere near reached his eyes. "And how did you determine these pairs?"

Sakura smirked because she knew the boy would think she paired herself up with him for some ulterior motive or something. That was just the kind of cynical thought he would have... Before she could speak though, Aya beat her to it.

"B-based on our host and hostess personas, actually," she answered shyly, not wanting them to think she would deliberately pick the host she would be requesting. That would be embarrassing!

Erika nodded supportively with a calm smile. "Yeah. We thought it'll be interesting to see the other side of the coin, you know?"

"Hm."

That probably meant Sakura would be requesting Tamaki since they were both the _flirty type_. Kyoya wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed. Maybe both. Relief because he wouldn't have to deal with the craziness that was the feisty redhead. But disappointed because... he didn't know. It wasn't because he wanted her to request him, was it? No. He was probably just upset to be wrong.

Sure enough, Sakura did request the princely blonde as her host. Kyoya couldn't help but watch them from afar, even when other guests started arriving. He wondered what they were saying with their charming smiles and coyly half-drooped eyelids... Just who was hosting whom now?

"Aren't you popular?" the redhead remarked, looking at the line of girls along the couch opposite them. They all looked eager to get closer to Tamaki but since she got there early, Sakura got to sit directly next to him. "You are a pretty boy so I'm not really surprised."

Tamaki smiled. "You flatter me... I'm sure you're used to being surrounded by fans too. We are the same, after all."

She laughed. "We are _not_ the same. You're cheesy, Tamaki." Despite saying that, she leaned closer to him and smirked.

"I prefer the word _charming_," he replied, laughing too.

"Hm, I can maybe see that."

"Then we are the same." He took her hand in between both of his larger ones. "Because I find you incredibly charming, Sakura..."

The girl couldn't restrain her smile though she did try. "Yeah, you're definitely cheesy!"

She sounded more amused than flattered though, Kyoya could tell. If she really took a compliment seriously, she would be blushing madly and get angry about it. Sakura never could handle praise very well if she thought someone meant them. Unless, of course, she had changed...

His being distracted failed to escape the notice of the hostess who had requested him. "Uhm, K-Kyoya-kun?" she called in a small voice. Once she got his attention, Aya blushed lightly because the other girls around her were giggling in excitement.

He turned to look at her, ever the epitome of calm. "Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

There was a short pause before he spoke. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You seem distracted..." Aya scratched her cheek awkwardly. "Is it m-my fault? You're observing the other hosts and... the hostesses picked boys closest to their personas so that kind of, er, leaves the two of us on the outside."

That was right. Tamaki and Sakura, though different in terms of style, were considered the flirty type. Erika was like Haruhi, natural. Rin was with the twins Hikaru and Kaoru as their personas were playful. Though Hana wasn't a lolita, she was cheery like Hunny. He supposed that left Mori without a match too... but he and Hunny always came together.

So that did leave Kyoya, the cool host, and Aya, the shy hostess.

That didn't faze him, not outwardly anyway. The raven-haired boy smirked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "That's an interesting notion," he said with a smirk and a tinge of amusement that made his clients blush. Leaning back in his chair, he folded his arms across his chest nonchalantly. "Make no mistake... I had no expectations of finding someone like me—hostess or otherwise—because, I assure you, there is no one like me."

"Oh, right..." Aya fiddled with a lock of her blonde hair, blushing and smiling to herself.

Too easy. In fact, what he said wasn't even what was bothering him, at all, though it was true. "Were you that concerned about me?" he asked, his onyx eyes laughing—with her or at her? It was hard to tell.

The blonde looked panicked and waved her hands frantically. "N-no!"

"Oh? Good." Kyoya chuckled wryly. He turned back to his laptop in front of him. His behaviour was a slightly more intense version of his host persona but it seemed to work fine. "You really shouldn't underestimate me."


	7. Then

_ Sakura stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror. She turned her body from side to side, looking at herself from different angles. To be honest, she wasn't a fan of this dress her mother had bought for her. But... she had a date today. And for a reason she wouldn't admit quite yet, she wanted to look pretty for Kyoya. _

_ She did look flattering but then would it seem like she was trying too hard? Kyoya knew she didn't often wear dresses unless there was a formal event. Would he think this would be too strange of her? _

_ Groaning, the girl ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm overthinking this," she muttered to herself. "Kyo is going to be here soon so I need to calm down and—" _

_ "Madam?" a voice said through the door, accompanied by a few knocks. _

_ "Come in!" _

_ Given the permission, the butler opened the door to the room and stepped through. He was an old man with a kind face but upon seeing his charge in a dress, he looked surprised. Then he smiled. "Dressing up for Kyoya-san?" _

_ Sakura blushed immediately, her blue eyes widening in panic, and protested, "No way! I-I was just trying this on!" _

_ The older man chuckled at the overreaction which only made his charge sulk angrily. _

_ Great, he probably thought she had a crush on her best friend now or something... Perry had been serving her family even before he was specially assigned to the heiress. They had a good relationship but he always seemed to know more than he should. _

_ "What is it, Perry?" she finally asked when her cheeks had cooled down. _

_ The butler bowed gracefully. "Ootori Kyoya has arrived. He is waiting on the patio." _

_ "Thank you. I'll be there soon." _

_ When she was alone again, Sakura breathed a sigh. She  _ can't _ dress up. It would be out of character and might even arouse suspicion. So she should just... remain casual. Dumping the dress onto her bed, she changed into a pair of jeans and her worn out basketball jersey. _

_ She was tying up her hair when she met her secret boyfriend on the patio. Kyoya turned as he heard her approaching and smiled. He gave her a once-over and that smile became lopsided as he pushed his glasses up his the bridge of his nose. "Really, Sakura?" _

_ "What?" _

_ "We agreed to have a date today and you couldn't bother to dress up a little?" _

_ Sakura blushed. She  _ knew _ she should've worn something nicer! But she wouldn't dare admit this, of course... "Whatever. You've known me forever, Kyo. A dress is too conspicuous." As if Perry didn't already know. _

_ He shrugged. The boy himself wore a blue button-down shirt and khakis. "I suppose. Still, I admit I kind of expected you to find a way around it." Her cleverness was one of the reasons he stuck around her when he pushed most people away, after all. _

_ "Too much of a hassle." _

_ That settled, the two walked the familiar route to the TV room in the Akagi mansion. Growing up, they watched movies together all the time there and just yesterday, they decided to do just that but as a date. After all, there wasn't much they could do if they wanted to keep their relationship a secret. _

_ Kyoya plopped himself down on the couch opposite the flat screen television on one wall while Sakura went to get them a bowl of popcorn from the machine in one corner. "What should we watch?" she asked as she joined him, already starting to eat. _

_ "According to Tamaki, a scary movie is a good option for a date." He followed suit, snatching pieces of popcorn from the bowl. "Gives a gentleman the opportunity to comfort his lady." _

_ Sakura grinned in amusement. " _ You _ consulted Tamaki?" _

_ "It was one of various topics of conversation." _

_ "Ooh, various," she echoed. "I had an feeling you two would end up friends." _

_ The bespectacled boy smirked. "I guess I have a type when it comes to that." _

_ "What's that supposed to mean?" _

_ He shifted his position to face the redhead. "The two people I would sincerely call friends are you and Tamaki, though our friendship is much less public. Nonetheless, you two have big and overwhelming personalities—just forcing your presence into my life until it's impossible to push you away." _

_ She paused. "Is that your polite way of calling me annoying?" she asked, deadpanning. _

_ Kyoya laughed then which never failed to make the other smile. Without answering, he stood and declared with a drawl, "I'll pick out the movie, dear girlfriend of mine." He went over to the television and set up the movie he had already planned to watch with her. He never did anything without thinking it through first. _

_ They, indeed, watched a scary film but it did not have the effect Tamaki said it would on Sakura. Not even the surprise factor fazed her. Kyoya noticed this about halfway through the movie. To be honest, he wasn't that invested in it either since he didn't scare easily. But he thought  _ she _ would be more into it because that was how she usually was. She never did anything half-assed. _

_ Hm, maybe it just wasn't that scary... _

_ He turned his gaze to her and to his surprise, the redhead appeared to be distracted. Blue eyes stared without moving from the TV screen but they lacked any real focus. Her fingers picked at one corner of the pillow she hugged to herself, her features tense as if she was thinking hard about something. Whatever it was, it wasn't about the movie. Sighing softly, Kyoya reached across her to grab the remote on her opposite side. _

_ Sakura jumped a little at the sudden action and watched as the boy directed the remote at the TV and paused the film. _

_ He turned to meet her eyes. "What is it?" _

_ "What do you mean?" _

_ "Your mind was elsewhere the whole time. Tell me." _

_ She pouted at him angrily. Either he had gotten really good at reading her or her emotions were clear on her face. Kyoya would probably argue that it was both. Nonetheless, she decided to quit the facade and answer truthfully. "Am I annoying you?" _

_ " _ What _ ?" _

_ "You did say I forced myself into your life. W-well, I didn't mean to, okay?" She couldn't look at him then, scared he'd say something she didn't want to hear. _

_ The raven-haired boy sighed. "Sakura,  _ I _ was the one who suggested we date each other, remember? I wouldn't have done that if I didn't like you." This was simply logical to him so he didn't understand what she was getting so worked up over for. _

_ "But at the  _ beginning _ !" she almost exclaimed. "At the beginning, Kyo. If our parents hadn't kept arranging play dates for us, if I hadn't kept bugging you to interact with me... would we still have been friends?" _

_ "Of course." Kyoya surprised himself by how quickly and easily the answer came out. _

_ "How?" _

_ He did say it himself. The few he would actually consider friends had to force themselves at him. Kyoya realized this and struggled to find an answer. He sighed softly again, a hint of gentleness in his usually cool self. "Okay, maybe not." _

_ She knew it. Sakura could feel a mixture of sadness and anger creeping into her but before it could takeover, she felt a gentle hand on her cheek. That hand moved her head so the two would face each other. _

_ "You're right. But since you  _ are _ so pushy, we are friends. Is that so wrong? If you're weren't persistent, you wouldn't be you. You'd be like most people and I wouldn't like you." _

_ Sakura blinked at him, processing his words. Then she smiled excitedly. "So you're saying you like me, Kyo?" _

_ Dropping his hands, the boy rolled his eyes but grinned as well. "You always did change moods quickly." He readjusted his glasses. "But yes—" He had meant to say something snarky but was interrupted by another pair of lips on his. The force of the contact sent him leaning back on the armrest behind him. _

_ The kiss didn't last long enough for him to react because the redhead pulled away quickly. Her cheeks were incredibly flushed but she looked him with determination set in her bright blue eyes. "Good! Because I think I like you too, Kyo. Genuinely. I even thought of wearing a dress for our date!" _

_ "What?" _

_ "Well, I didn't want you to think I was trying too hard so I wore my jersey instead." _

_ Kyoya deadpanned. "I think you look fine in your jersey. But I meant the first part." Nervousness made his pulse quicken. _

_ "I said I like y—" _

_ He interrupted quickly, surprise finally fazing his composure. "I'm giving you a chance to change what you said, Sakura." _

_ The girl frowned. "B-but I meant it. I still do, Kyo..." _

_ "Good," he said, copying her words and then her movements by leaning towards her and kissing her deeply. _


	8. Now

The fact that Kyoya and Sakura hated each other escaped the notice of their families. After all,  _ they _ had always gotten along so why would their children be any different?

They didn't notice how the two never invited the other to visit their homes anymore. No one mentioned the tension between them at school. They didn't notice how they didn't talk with each other at events. Even if they did notice, they dismissed it as the teenagers growing apart as most friends of different genders would.

So when Sakura's mother invited the Ootori family to a holiday trip to the town of Niseko for a winter of skiing and fun in the snow, she didn't realize it wouldn't be  _ at all _ fun for her daughter. And when Kyoya's mother gladly accepted the invitation, she had no idea he only went along with it reluctantly. Thus, there the two families were, walking out of the Akagi's Niseko home to the nearest ski lodge.

After a moment of hesitation, Sakura tapped on the youngest Ootori son's shoulder to get his attention. He turned his head to look at her, ever the epitome of indifference and it irked her like only Kyoya could. Her blue eyes narrowed, she muttered in annoyance, "You agreed to this?"

"With a heavy heart, I assure you." He had a feeling the conversation wasn't going to end there and they slowed their pace, drifting to the back of the group. This was something they used to do back when they were kids. It just kind of stuck, he supposed.

"Why?"

"Was I not supposed to? Protest would be conspicuous."

"I expected you to find a way around it." The redhead looked genuinely exasperated then.

Though they hated each other, again, they both kept their families out of it. Their problem was personal.

Kyoya looked in front of them, where members of both families were chatting merrily with each other. A familiar sight but not one that made his situation easier. How would they feel if they found out the real relationship between the eldest Akagi child and the youngest Ootori son?

_No._ It shouldn't matter. However they felt about each other, it shouldn't affect their families' professional relationship. Besides, his father would never accept him if he ruined it...

Sakura's voice brought him back to the current moment. "So what now?"

They looked at each other, her blue eyes not filled with the usual hatred as Kyoya thought they would be. And his own onyx eyes were as unreadable as ever. "We can't really avoid each other here."

He stopped walking and she did too, facing each other. He adjusted his glasses, more out of habit than actual necessity. "I suggest a temporary truce."

It seemed like the obvious solution and it was appropriate so the girl nodded as Kyoya knew she would. She had always been a very family-oriented person and her reasons were genuine. He'd always been somewhat jealous of the close relationship between the Akagi family members, compared to his family's constant tension.

In any case, as if on cue, a voice called out to them.

"Hey, you two! Stop flirting and get on the gondola already!"

"Last one to the bottom again is a rotten egg!"

Excited whoops and cheers sounded then and the pair looked up. Sakura couldn't resist calling back, "Be ready to eat your words, little brother!" The rest of their family had gotten on the gondola lift that would take them to the top of the mountain. Each car supported only two people. Of course, it did, Sakura thought to herself. _Great._

She rushed over to get on a gondola car, her competitive nature spurring her on—even when Kyoya took up the space next to her and the gondola moved them. Needless to say, it was an awkward ride up. So much so that she couldn't get into a comfortable sitting position. Her fidgeting made the gondola car rock and creak lightly—continuously.

When his patience ran out, Kyoya broke the silence to say sharply, "Stop fidgeting."

The girl glared at him and then proceeded to forcefully rock the car back and forth.

"Why do you keep doing that?"

If she didn't know any better, Sakura might've thought he sounded almost tired. But that face was as expressionless as ever. While he didn't keep up that fake smile of his when they were alone, she still had yet to see proper emotion from him.

But the question seemed genuine so she stilled, the car following her lead. "Because you told me to stop. You see, I'm a rebel—"

"Not why you keep fidgeting," he interrupted, fixing his glasses. "Why do you keep trying to get on my nerves?"

"Is it working?"

"I won't give you that satisfaction."

"Then it's working." Nodding affirmatively to herself, Sakura faced the horizon.

Kyoya frowned. "You haven't answered my question." This was going to be a long ride, he could tell...

"You're always so emotionless. Even back then, you kept up this cool and collected facade as if you don't feel anything." There was an odd softness in her tone, as if she really meant what she said. That was likely. Sakura had always worn her heart on her sleeve. Or maybe not. Maybe the word 'dramatic' suited her better because he couldn't quite recall seeing her show genuine sadness. He thought he might be seeing that now. "I like seeing you fazed."

_That_ was a rare sight, indeed. Slowly, he was allowing his fellow hosts see his calm expression falter but usually only to intimidate them. Like when they tried to wake him up way too early.

But what could he say? He was used to faking a smile so to suddenly stop was difficult. His old best friend used to be the only person he let his guard down around. She didn't easily see that, of course, because she was used to it. Not anymore.

The boy looked at the horizon too. "Well, we called a temporary truce so stop that."

The gondola car rocked.

" _ Sakura! _ "

She laughed then. She actually let out a sincere laugh. Somewhat amused, Kyoya smirked. "Masochist," he muttered.

The redhead gasped. "Am not!"

"Why else would you get a kick out of me being angry with you? Tell me, do you want to be punished?" His suggestive tone made her blush furiously. Coming from anyone else, she would've easily countered it with a remark of her own but this was  _ Kyoya _ . Cool and stoic Kyoya, making a dirty joke.

The boy grinned slyly and said lowly, "What's wrong? I thought you wanted to see a different side of me?"

He was leaning towards her and due to the limited space, she couldn't move away. She pouted angrily. "Th-that's not what I meant and you know it, Kyo!" Her blue eyes widened in panic when she realized she used her old nickname for him.

Hearing it, Kyoya halted too. Silence filled the space between them—which wasn't much because he realized he only had to lean forward just a few more inches for their lips to touch. But he wasn't going to do that, of course.

He pulled back, sitting properly and turning his eyes back to the horizon. "Good." He fixed his glasses.

Sakura breathed a dramatic sigh of relief, switching emotions just as easily as she always did. Thankfully, the gondola car was almost at the top of the mountain where the rest of their families were already waiting for them. She whispered to him seconds before they parted. "Sadist." Smirking over her shoulder, she went over to her brother who telling her to hurry up.


	9. Then

_ It was only the first day of high school of high school but Kyoya was already thinking a little too much about his girlfriend. He wasn't usually so distracted but... he couldn't help but worry. They had spent a lot of time together over the last term break and even talked late into the night last night. _

_ But Sakura was never late to school. She actually diligently kept up a full attendance, the nerd. _ His _ nerd. So where was she? _

_ She missed assembly and first period too when the boy had been elected class representative—again. She had always made faces at him when he went up to the front of the class for this but not this year. After that, before the next teacher arrived, he started handing out timetables and such to his classmates. He looked to the door numerous times and each time, no one came through. _

_ Was she okay? _

_ "Kyoya." He looked up to see a familiar person peering at him in concern. "You seem distracted. Are you okay?" _

_ He smiled his usual smile. "I'm fine, Tamaki." _

_ The blonde may have broken through his defenses and they may have become unexpectedly close friends but Kyoya had yet to tell him about his secret relationship with Sakura. The couple had yet to tell anyone , in fact. _

_ Though they did agree to only keep it a secret for the trial period, they never got around to revealing it at all. So Kyoya behaved how he usually did in public and lied through his teeth, "Just wondering when our teacher will finally make their appearance." _

_ Tamaki nodded and laughed, going back to his seat after taking the new semester's class schedule. _

_ Right then, Sakura rushed through the door. "Sorry I'm late!" she cried, to which a number of her classmates chuckled. _

_ "That's a first." _

_ "Don't worry, Akagi. The teacher's not in yet." _

_ "Sakura-chan! Come sit next to me!" _

_ Kyoya's voice broke through the others, calling out to her calmly. "Sakura." _

_ The redhead jumped slightly at the voice and turned. He could see her restraining an excited smile. Her red hair was messily tied up into a bun, some strands falling out. _

_ It was a pretty sight, if the boy was honest with himself. He usually only saw her disheveled like this late at night. Sakura fixed her hair as she walked towards where he stood at the front of the class and whispered in a singsong voice, "Hey, Mister Class President." _

_ "You're late," he pointed out monotonously. _

_ "Were you worried?" _

_ "Why are you late?" _

_ "You were worried." _

_ "Sakura, you're never late." _

_ Her back turned to the rest of the class, she allowed herself to smile brightly to him. There was a slight blush on her cheeks but she seemed happy about it. "I overslept because a certain someone kept me up all night," she finally answered, teasing. _

_ "Eh? What were you and Kyoya-kun doing last night?" asked an equally teasing voice. _

_ Sakura let out a gasp and whirled around to see one of their classmates giving them a naughty look. "Katsue! N-nothing, we weren't doing anything..." She could tell the other girl wasn't buying it at all because she quirked an eyebrow. _

_ Sighing softly, Kyoya adjusted his glasses. Honestly, the only fishy thing about this scene was Sakura's answer. Katsue was obviously only kidding around... If he didn't say something, she was sure to grow suspicious of them. Also, his reactive girlfriend might make matters worse. _

_ As usual, like every other time they almost 'got caught', it was up to _ him _ to diffuse the situation. "Terakado, she was just telling me about her boyfriend and how she blames him for her being late on the first day of school. I'd appreciate it if you don't misunderstand her words." _

_ "H-hey, I don't _ blame _ him." _

_ Katsue looked confused. "Why are you telling Kyoya-kun?" she asked, laughing a little but she looked like she expected an answer this time. _

_ "Because..." _

_ The boy chuckled politely. "I guess she must really like him to brag like that, wouldn't she?" He grinned calmly at his girlfriend. _

_ Sakura stuck her tongue out at him while their classmate laughed again next to them. _

_ Katsue looked excited then. "Ooh, now you _ have _ to tell us all about him! Do I know him? Come on, I bet Aya-chan knows him. You know how popular she is..." She started to pull the redhead towards a group of girls sitting at the back of the class. _

_ But Kyoya standing up suddenly stopped them. Something in his eyes made Sakura say, "Go ahead, Katsue. I'll catch up with you later. I need, uh..." _

_ "Your schedule," he finished for her. _

_ Their classmate shrugged and went off to her friends, excitedly telling them about how someone finally got herself a boyfriend. Sakura approached the boy in question and they pretended he was explaining the details she missed that day. What Kyoya actually said was, "Wait a while when everyone leaves for recess." _

_ And that was exactly what she did. When recess rolled around, Sakura took her own sweet time packing up her stuff and so did Kyoya. Their classmates streamed out group by group until only the couple was left in the classroom. _

_ There were still people outside who could see them through the windows though so Sakura only spoke to him from a few tables away. "Miss me already?" she asked without looking at him. _

_ "Don't smirk at me, Sakura," he said coolly. "You were the one who overreacted when Terakado teased us." _

_ The redhead pouted angrily. "She caught me off guard!" _

_ "Of course. That's why we agreed not to talk about our relationship at school." The hallway outside was almost empty then so Kyoya stood from his seat and started to walk towards her. _

_ "You know, we're talking about it right now." She turned in her seat to see the bespectacled boy looming over her. A warm larger hand was placed over hers on the table, sending tingles up her spine. She liked when he softened his gaze at her. "I kind of want to kiss you," she giggled. _

_ Kyoya nodded his head to himself. "I think _ you _ talk about it because getting caught excites you." _

_ "Don't you think so too, Kyo? The secrecy is kind of thrilling." _

_ "You're romanticizing it." _

_ She shrugged but smiled. Before she could retort though, Tamaki interrupted them by stepping into the classroom. "Kyoya, I just went to see the teacher about the host— Oh. Hello, Sakura-chan!" He waved enthusiastically. _

_ The girl responded with equal vigour. "Hey, Tamaki-kun." _

_ By then, Kyoya had put plenty of distance between him and his girlfriend. "Are you done, Sakura? As class rep, I have to make sure no one is in class during recess." _

_ This was true but not many actually paid attention to that so Sakura knew he was only saying that for Tamaki's benefit. Not that he needed to say anything at all. But a guilty person always felt the need to explain themself. Kyoya cursed himself for being so easily affected._

_ The girl hurriedly finished clearing her things, stood, and bowed. "Thanks, Kyoya. See you, guys!" With that, she finally left the classroom. _

_ She was mildly disappointed, of course, that they didn't get to have much of a moment together. As exciting as having a secret relationship was, it did make doing couple-y things more difficult. She wished they had gotten to kiss today... and she had a feeling Kyoya wanted that too. _

_ Thankfully, they did get their chance not long after. _

_ Recess was almost ending and Sakura was walking down the hallway back to class when a door suddenly opened in front of her and an arm reached out to pull her in. The door closed and a light bulb turned on above her, illuminating her boyfriend's face. _

_ Smirking, he looked like he was about to say something but Sakura stopped him by throwing her arms around him and kissing him. _

_ The sudden force made Kyoya stumble back a bit and he bumped into the shelf behind him. They were in a janitor's closet, after all. Rational thought left him as Kyoya wrapped his arms around the redhead's waist to pull her closer and deepen their kiss. He grinned underneath it. "You're romanticizing this." _

_ She pulled back a little but remained in his embrace. "Am I not supposed to? You pulled me into a _ janitor's closet _ , Kyo. Haven't you watched any movie ever?" She made a face and then laughed. _

_ "I just wanted to tell you that I have to cancel our date this evening. That Host Club thing is starting later today." _

_ He had made no move to separate but Sakura did then, frowning. "Oh." _

_ "Yeah, sorry about the short notice. Tamaki only just told me." Behind his glasses, black eyes rolled at the memory. _

_ The blonde had convinced Kyoya to start a Host Club with him and last year, he had rounded up four other boys to become hosts as well. While Sakura had encouraged her boyfriend to agree to it at the beginning, she wasn't sure how she felt about it now. Despite Kyoya never flirting with anyone, she knew plenty of girls who would go for his cool type—just like she did. _

_ Seeing her expression, the boy smiled and placed his hand on top of her head gently, making her look up at him. Then he moved his hand down to lift her chin higher so he could plant a brief but lingering kiss on her lips. "I'll call you tonight though." _

_ Sakura smiled. _


	10. Now

Kyoya and Sakura sat across from each other at the dinner table some nights later but eye contact was actively avoided. If it weren't for the families' surrounding chatter, the silence would've grown thick between them. Though Sakura was as chatty as ever, she never did address Kyoya directly. Then again, he barely participated in the conversation anyway.

He knew it was proper social etiquette to speak with your dinner company and usually, he was very good at this, even if it was about something that didn't interest him. But he wasn't in the mood for it that night. He was surprised Sakura _was_. Or maybe he shouldn't be, considering he knew how easily the redhead could switch between emotions. Kyoya himself seemed to be the polar opposite.

That was how it was in the beginning, at least. Things changed when dessert was served. "Mochi cakes!  _ Oh yeah! _ " cheered the youngest Akagi before shoveling the dessert into his mouth.

"Shion, where are your manners?" his father chided with a sigh.

Sakura sniggered. "I think he threw those out to make way for more food." The others laughed but her little brother stuck his tongue out at her. Then she felt her leg being kicked under the table. "Hey!" Scowling, she kicked back immediately.

The boy across from her hissed in pain. Kyoya spoke for what could be the first time since everyone started on dinner. "Sakura, work on your aim, would you?" She had missed dreadfully so her foot had connected with his shin instead. Next to him, the younger boy howled with laughter.

"S-sorry..." She sounded sheepish but it was obvious she found this kind of funny. Her sniggering stopped abruptly though when she felt a sharp pain shoot up her leg, making her cry out. "Ow! Jerk, that hurt!"

"Oh, and your kick didn't?" Adjusting his glasses, Kyoya smirked at her.

Before she could retort, one of Kyoya's older brothers spoke up. "Honestly, nothing's changed, has it? You two haven't grown up at all."

"Akito! I'm  _ much _ more mature than Kyoya."

Shion finally stopped laughing long enough to say, "Sakura's just jealous because these mochi cakes as just as good as the ones she made at home." He grinned and continued eating.

"I am  _ not _ jealous!"

"Are to!"

"I didn't know Sakura can cook," the only Ootori daughter said, interrupting the petty argument.

It worked but at the statement, an amused scoff escaped Kyoya. It went mostly unnoticed but Sakura shot him a glare, knowing what he must be thinking. "Something to say, Kyoya?"

"I just remembered how much of a disaster you were in the kitchen," he answered coolly and calmly, meeting her gaze.

Their families laughed at that and Sakura pouted angrily, slumping in her seat.

"Funny," the eldest Ootori said with a small smirk, more to jibe at his little brother than to save the damsel in distress. "I seem to recall Kyoya being her accomplice in those moments."

All in all, it unexpectedly turned out to be a good dinner. The reminiscing continued throughout the whole meal and both Kyoya and Sakura found themselves relaxing and joining in on the fun. The past was a good time...

It actually made Sakura feel nostalgic so after everyone went to go about their own business, she decided to go through some old photos. She had only brought her laptop along in case she got bored but now, alone in her room, she reasons for starting it up and plugging in a private flashdrive were definitely out of boredom.

Then she went through a folder of pictures.

There were a lot of them, especially from when she first got that camera because she was so excited to use it. Kyoya was in pretty much all of them, which made her realize just how much time they used to spend together.

There was that time they tried and failed to make cookies before anyone found out that Sakura finished what was left. Then there was a picture of Kyoya with his arms out and his face scrunched up because he didn't have his glasses. Another photo showed the boy studying and pushing the camera away. But in the next one, he smiled smally at the camera. There were even photos of when they were a couple...

"You kept those?"

Sakura jumped and hurriedly exited the window on the screen. She looked over her shoulder to see Kyoya leaning against her door frame, as expressionless as ever. "Don't you knock?" she snapped with a glare, though the blush on her cheeks at being caught remained.

The boy stood properly and walked towards where she sat at her desk. "I did. Were you that distracted by our photos?" A small smirk played on his lips.

"Reminiscing breeds nostalgia."

"Can't argue with that, I suppose. May I join you?" Without waiting for an answer, he reached over to reopen the window.

Sakura rolled her eyes but consented, muttering sarcastically, "Oh yeah, sure, go ahead." She sighed and slapped his hand away. "Pull up a chair."

He did as instructed and they sat together, viewing the photos. For his benefit, Sakura went through them backwards so he got to see what he missed. They did this in silence for a long time because it was kind of awkward to see how close they were, compared to their relationship now. As they reached the point before middle school, before things got complicated, Kyoya finally said something. "I can't believe you keep all of these."

"I don't like deleting photos in general. Don't read too much into it." The girl slumped in her seat.

The other fixed his glasses though they were already in the right position. "I wasn't. Stop assuming the worst of me." Silence again until a particular photo showed itself. He paused, blinking at it. "Hey, this one is—"

"Yeah."

"—from the lake house that summer."

"Yeah, I know."

"We got in trouble for being out so late." Kyoya's voice sounded almost gentle then. The picture was of the two of them curled up together on the grass, sleeping peacefully. "And we both caught a cold after that."

The redhead's lips curved into a smile. "It was fun though."

Kyoya laughed in disbelief. "We had to stay home for a week while everyone went out."

"We had the house to ourselves."

"We stayed in bed most of the time! I swore I would never let you convince me to sneak out at night again."

"That didn't work out since we did do it again so many times after anyway," Sakura cooed. Then both seemed to remember why they stopped sneaking out together. She spoke softly then. "You know, you never said why you came to my room in the first place, Kyoya."

He shrugged. "I want to apologize for kicking your leg." He said this calmly, as if it weren't too small a matter to do anything about. As if they were friends again. The girl reminded herself that this truce was only temporary.

But it was a truce nonetheless, right? "I'm sorry too then."

"It's fine. Just fix your aim before you injure someone else."

Before the mood could get awkward, Sakura tapped on the keyboard to see the next photo. This one made Kyoya frown. It was the photo she had taken when he knocked over that expensive vase at the lake house. The one she used to blackmail him. The one she said she deleted all copies of.

"You liar!" He quickly tried to delete it but a laughing Sakura held him back.


	11. Then

_ Sakura looked up from her book as the sound of rapid typing got too distracting. In the parlour, she was curled up on the couch and opposite her was Kyoya sitting cross-legged at a table on the floor where he worked on his laptop, his deft fingers flying across the keyboard. This was a familiar scene, she thought sourly. _

_ "Are you done yet?" she whined in frustration, her head propped up by one arm as she watched him. Using an index finger to keep her place, she closed the book momentarily. It wasn't a boring book but she had different intentions today. She thought they both did. _

_ The boy briefly glanced at her over his glasses, barely moving his head at all. "Almost." _

_ She huffed and laid on her back. "That's what you said five minutes ago." _

_ "What can I say? Tamaki is pretty reckless with the budget, especially considering how expensive Hunny's cakes are. I'll have to figure out a way to get more income if..." _

_ Sakura groaned to drown him out. How many times had she heard that before? Well, not _ that _ specifically but similar so-called reasons. _

_ After a second of still silence, she put a bookmark in her book and placed it onto the table. She got up from the couch to sit next to her boyfriend, leaning against him to see the laptop screen. He didn't seem to mind—she couldn't tell if he even noticed her, by his lack of reaction. _

_ They were supposed to have a _ date_, no whatever this was. _

_ "You're affectionate today," he pointed out almost monotonously. An amused smirk played at the corners of his lips. It was a good thing his girlfriend had her head laid on his shoulder because he knew that if she saw that smile, she would do this for that reaction again, without a doubt. _

_ Not that he minded, but he'd rather not let her have that leverage over him. It was kind of cute... _

_ Her next answer startled him though. _ _ Sakura had muttered under her breath but he heard her clearly. "Only to make up for your lack of it." _

_ Kyoya didn't answer. His silence made the other sigh again but she didn't move from their position. He focused on completing his work so they could get to their date as planned. He let her stay there, on his shoulder. It wasn't necessarily uncomfortable but as the minutes ticked by, her weight seemed to get heavier. _

_ The brat must be trying to get his attention again. "Sakura..." he said in a warning tone. But she didn't let up. If anything, she seemed to be trying to push him over. "Hey, get off m— _ Sakura!_" Kyoya cried her name suddenly as he actually did topple over onto his side. _

_ Using an arm to keep his body off the ground, he glared at the girl. He opened his mouth to comment on her childish behaviour but then stopped. His features softened. _

_ His girlfriend had fallen asleep. Her head was on top of his stomach, the strands of her red hair splaying over it, and one of her legs was folded under the other which was stretched out. Her chest rose and fell with steady breaths. _

_ Kyoya sighed and pushed up his glasses. "That can't be comfortable," he remarked to no one in particular. The way he saw it, he could either let the girl sleep or wake her up. The latter was quickly ruled out. He knew his insomniac girlfriend often slept in the evenings when she couldn't at night. Besides, what was waiting for her if she woke now? _ Him_? Not worth it, he was sure. She needed the rest more. _

_ So the real question was where to let her sleep. The couch in the parlour can't be good for her posture so the bed it was then. The raven-haired boy shifted their bodies so he could lift Sakura in his arms. Standing slowly, he carried her to where he knew her bedroom was. _

_ At the door, he encountered her butler who rushed to them swiftly. "Oh my... Did she fall asleep again?" _

_ "Yes. It's okay, I've got her. Just open the door for me, would you?" _

_ Perry bowed and did so. The younger man entered the room, carrying Sakura with him and then gently placed her on the bed. She, in turn, immediately curled up on top of the blankets, a peaceful smile adorning her lips. Kyoya missed that smile... They hadn't gotten much time to spend together recently. In school, they acted like they didn't know each other and after, Kyoya had host duties. _

_ Busy, busy, busy, but Sakura never failed to reply immediately when he messaged her for some reason or another. And she never failed to cheer him up, relax him. Did her quick replies mean she waited for him in those evenings? Like she did just now? _

_ Exhaling softly, Kyoya brushed the hair from her face and kissed her forehead. He mentally promised to be a better boyfriend. Sakura deserved it. _

_ Then he stood and walked out, thanking the butler on his way. He returned to the parlour to retrieve his things and then left when his driver arrived at the Akagi mansion to take him home. _

_ The butler actually thought this was very kind of the young Ootori, especially for someone who was 'just a friend', as his charge had always insisted, but Sakura was only frustrated when he relayed what had happened to her. _Why didn't they wake her?!

_ She waited so long for Kyoya and it was all for nothing? All because of his stupid host duties... _

_ The couple had been drifting apart for a while now, though it seemed like Kyoya barely noticed. It was glaringly obvious to the other. _

_ They spent less and less time together and that bothered her _ immensely_. Even before they started dating, they were close friends so to have him missing from her daily life felt wrong. In addition to that, since they _ were _ dating now, who wouldn't feel at least a little jealous if their boyfriend was a host who flirted with multiple girls every day? He was the damn vice president of the club, no less. _

_ How could anyone handle dating someone who had 'duties' like that? _

_ Sakura had brought up the issue with Kyoya a number of times before but he had always brushed it off or, if he thought she was really being serious, he would say that she had nothing to worry about. Obviously, he didn't think much of her concerns. _

_ Maybe she didn't have to worry about _ him_—he was too detached to fall for any of those girls easily. But the girls... they fawned over him. Sakura had heard many of her classmates talking about the _ super cool Ootori Kyoya_, gushing all about him. How could she blame them, really? She knew firsthand what a great guy he was—not that they knew the real him much. The surface was enough for them. _

_ She'd like to think Kyoya only showed that side of him to her . He rarely revealed his true emotions, even if anything serious happened. On the other hand, Sakura was very reactive. They were like complete opposites. He knew how she felt about his being a host but he remained unfazed by everything and anything and that was probably what hurt the most to girl. _

_ Didn't her discomfort matter to him? Didn't he _ care_? How would he feel if she let herself be ogled and fawned over by other boys too? _

_ It was hard to tell what Kyoya was thinking in general, really. It was hard to tell if she was making him happy or just making a fool of herself. The confusion and doubt was painfully nerve-wracking. And Sakura wondered if she had finally reached her breaking point with that. _


	12. Now

It had been about a week since they returned from the skiing holiday. Sakura actually ended up having a lovely time, even if— no,  _ especially _ because Kyoya was there.

Kyoya, her childhood best friend and first love. In their temporary truce, she was sure she felt that spark between them again. They parted before she could really figure out what their relationship was, if that holiday changed anything. She had never been able to be sure where she stood with him...

Pushing the thought out of her mind, the redhead knocked on the door wooden door that would open to the family head's office. "Dad?" Impatient as she was, she didn't wait for an answer before pushing the door open and walking through. He was the one to call for her so Sakura's appearance should be expected. She, on the other hand, didn't expect to see her mom and two other people in the room as well.

Her father stood from behind his desk. "Sakura."

His voice reminded the girl that she was in the presence of the respectable Nakamura family so she quickly bowed. "My apologies. I didn't realize you were busy." Straightening herself, she smiled to other heir whom she had been advised to 'make nice' with at so many events, something Kyoya never failed to tease her about.

_Seriously_, did the thought of him have to barge its way into everything?

Sakura made to leave but her mother stopped her.

"No, come here, darling." She smiled kindly. "We were waiting for you."

"Actually... Hiroshi, why don't you take Sakura and wait outside for a moment?" The other family head smiled too but it lacked any warmth.

Mr. Akagi nodded. "Go on, Sakura."

The heir, a boy about her age, stood and led Sakura out of the room with him. They sat down together on the couch in the foyer.

Okay, this was starting to feel serious.

In his suit, Hiroshi sat stiffly and the smile on his face was about as fake as Kyoya's at parties—though the latter was much better at concealing its ingenuity. Sakura wondered if she should've put on something more elegant than the blouse and jeans she wore then.

She blinked at Hiroshi, poking his arm. "You okay, Nakamura?" They didn't really know each other very well but he had always been pleasant to her at events they both attended and since they were in the same social circle, there were  _ a lot _ of those events.

Especially after what happened with Kyoya, she hung out with Nakamura more as well as the other aristocrats. At least she didn't have to hide her relationship with  _ them _ .

"Yes, I'm fine." She had always had a contagious aura so the brunette couldn't help but smile back properly. But then he looked away. "Hey, uh... it's been years so can't you just call me Hiroshi, now? It feels weird always being called by my surname from a friend."

"Ooh, I know that feeling. Alright then, Hiroshi. Yeah, that sounds way better. Wait! How about just Hiro instead?"

The boy chuckled. "Hiroshi, please."

"Fine," she consented with an exaggerated sigh. "That means you get to call me Sakura."

"Alright... Sakura." He said her name as if he was testing how it would sound like. He had one of those deep smooth voices so it actually sounded very nice. It was no wonder the Nakamura heir was so popular with the ladies. He was kind of like a celebrity in their world.

But the redhead didn't fall for natural charm that easily. Nonetheless, Nakamura Hiroshi made good company so she had no qualms whenever her parents urged her to go chat with him or the like. "_So_," she drawled, "any idea what's going on in there?"

She had pointed to the door to her father's office where their parents were probably discussing something that concerned them. That much was obvious. But Hiroshi appeared to know more than she did—if that intense look in his eyes when he turned his gaze to the door meant anything. Then, there was his super conspicuous answer. "Yes," he said after a long pause.

"You're a mysterious one, you know that?"

Hiroshi chuckled and then scratched his cheek awkwardly. "I'm sorry."

"It's not a  _ bad _ characteristic," the other assured, smirking. "I've always had a thing for the hard-to-read." Goodness knew how true that was. For as long as she knew Kyoya, he still rarely conveyed his emotions clearly. And as much as she was drawn to that, it did make having a relationship difficult.

This brunette was not as expressionless and at her flirty compliment, his cheeks flushed lightly. True to her hostess persona, indeed, he thought. "You shouldn't say things like that. It can be misleading."

She sniggered. "Don't worry about it, Hiroshi. I have no intention of being pummeled by your fangirls."

"I don't have fangirls." He looked shy about it though so she knew he was just trying to deny it.

"You definitely do."

"So do you, though, Sakura. Well, fanboys, I suppose."

"Only because I'm amazing."

"Hm, don't forget modest."

"Absolutely." They laughed then and Sakura smiled at seeing her friend more at ease. She leaned back on the couch. "They wouldn't get jealous though. Because I'm a hostess, I'm not supposed to be attached to anyone. They know the only way to tie me down involves a bed." She winked then, making the other blush furiously which only made her laugh.

Hiroshi rolled his eyes. "So no relationships for you then?"

"Nah... What about you?"

"I might be getting married soon."

" What? "

Right then, the door opened and Sakura's mother's smiling face poked through. "You may come in now." The two teens stood and followed the older woman into the office.

Sakura made a mental note to ask Hiroshi for further explanation on what he said. He was only a year older than her so that made him seventeen years of age. Wasn't that too young to get hitched? She'd heard of her friends getting engaged early but most of those were 'arranged' or planned out by their families.

It wasn't too uncommon for people of their social class.

In the next hour or so, Sakura would learn that she was in the same predicament too. A girl of her status should have a  _ strategic _ marriage, they told her. And a marriage between the heiress of a renowned coffee company and the future owner of Nakamura Inc. would be strategic, indeed.

It wouldn't be so bad, she was told, and youngsters these days shouldn't pay much mind to the stigma of arranged marriages. After all, Mr and Mrs Akagi married for benefit too and they were quite happy with it. These years of courtship, subtle it may be, had an end goal that had been planned out for a while.

The young redhead turned to her supposed fiance. Hiroshi looked straight ahead but his eyes lacked sharpness. He seemed calm or was he still in shock like she was?

So all that making nice was to make sure they were compatible enough... The pair  did get along but _romance_? There was none of that between them. When Hiroshi looked at her, Sakura knew he knew it too. Truthfully, that was also the reason she never got into another relationship.

There was only one person she ever felt that tingly feeling with.


	13. Then

_ Kyoya was working on his laptop again when he felt his chair shift slightly, creaking a bit. He looked down to see Mori with his head ducked under the table he sat at, the senior's larger body shoving the chair Kyoya was sitting on as he crawled further in. _

_ An eye twitched behind the glasses Kyoya nudged up his nose. "Senpai, what are you doing?" he asked, deadpanned. _

_ The older host pulled himself out from under the table and sat back on his heels. "Mitsukuni is missing." _

_ "Well, I doubt he'd be hiding down there— hm? Hunny's not here?" The smart remark fell through his lips naturally as if it had been waiting there since the beginning of the altercation—yes, he had learned to stop being painfully polite all the time, at least to his fellow hosts—but when the explanation sank in, the concern became mutual. _

_ Mori and Hunny were pretty much always together so seeing either alone did seem a little odd—especially if that one didn't know where the other was. _

_ The bespectacled boy looked around their Host Club room and sure enough, the small lolita was nowhere to be seen. _

_ The others were present; Tamaki pointing at a pair of annoyed-looking twins which probably meant the blonde was trying to give them tips again. Goodness knew they needed it, the blonde would argue. After all, Hikaru and Kaoru were kind of new to the whole  _ ' being nice to others'  _ thing. To Kyoya, their occasional sharp comments were a breath of fresh air though after being around the oh-so-charming Tamaki so much. _

_ If he was honest with himself, Kyoya quite liked this little ragtag group Tamaki put together. That was a better reason to stick around than the fawning clientele. Not that he would admit it any time soon—even to Sakura. _

_ "Tamaki," he called out, halting their little discussion. All three hosts turned their heads to look at him and Mori who was starting to stand. "Has anyone seen Hunny-senpai?" _

_ The boy in question actually turned out to be next door, in Music Room 2. He had seen a group of people coming in and out of the once unused room so he curiously went over to investigate. And that was when he met the Ouran Academy's first ever group of hostesses. Naturally, they took to him immediately, so when the other hosts exited their own club room to search for him, they found the short boy surrounded by three girls in the hallway—Sakura being one of them. She was the first one Kyoya noticed and his onyx eyes stayed on her the whole time. _

_ "Why don't you come in and be our first customer? We'll treat you extra nice," Sakura purred to Hunny. _

_ He grinned brightly. "Will there be cake?" _

_ Aya couldn't help but giggle softly at how cute he was. "Of course, senpai." _

_ But Rin let out an amused scoff and muttered, "Come to the dark side, we have candy." Standing off to the side, the brunette had her arms folded across her chest because honestly, she wasn't that interested in cute-sy boys or things in general. She was mostly here for the promised pool table anyway. _

_ Ignoring her, Sakura winked. "Nothing as sweet as you though, Hunny." Right after, she winced though because someone flicked her arm. _

_ "Yeesh, we haven't even started yet and you're  _ already _ flirting?" Erika rolled her eyes but a small smile graced her lips. _

_ In contrast to his fellow hosts, Mori's immediate reaction was to make his presence known. He walked over and swiftly pulled Hunny away from them—not too far but enough to make his intentions clear. He wasn't a man of many words, that one, but his actions usually spoke loud enough. _

_ His sudden appearance made Aya squeak and latch onto Sakura's arm. The redhead herself looked mildly surprised but then chuckled. "Did someone get  _ jealous _ ? Hey there, tall, dark and mysterious." _

_ "Who's the creep?" asked Rin who had joined in, standing protectively by her friends. _

_ Tamaki laughed lightheartedly as the rest of the boys converged. "Mori-senpai is a little protective of Hunny-senpai." _

_ "Who wouldn't be wary around a predator like you?" Hikaru remarked boldly. _

_ Sakura only grinned and said, "Oh, how could I resist around tempting prey like you?" _

_ The twins looked a little taken aback by the not-at-all-defensive comeback. In fact, it was delivered in a sultry tone which surprised Kyoya too. Sakura had always been a bit of a flirt but she usually reserved her teasing for when they were alone and used more subtle words with others. She had never been so blatantly obvious like right then.  _ Just what was she doing?

_ If Sakura had seen his eyes widen, she might've been satisfied with her handiwork. As it was, when she glanced at the boy to see his reaction, he had returned his expression to an indifferent one. If anything, that only made her more determined to elicit a reaction out of him. _

_ Hunny was the one to break the steadily growing silence. "Saku-chan is starting a hostess club next to ours. Won't that be fun?" _

_ "Very," Sakura agreed, smiling slyly. _

_ Kyoya thought quite differently though and he made this quite clear when the couple met in an empty hallway much later, after everyone had returned to their respective club rooms. He had sent her a text message to meet him outside and after making an excuse to his fellow hosts, he walked out of the room to wait. _

_ His girlfriend actually took a while before she finally exited Music Room 2—the Hostess Club, as she had told them earlier. _

_ She wasn't wearing her school uniform then but a white blouse and black skirt. To be honest, Sakura looked very pretty, dressed like that. She had never dressed up for  _ him _ . _

_ "What are you doing?" he asked as calmly as possible. _

_ "Uh,  you told me to meet y—" _

_ "I mean this...  _ Hostess _ Club you suddenly started." _

_ Was just his imagination or was she seriously restraining a smile? "It's not that  _ sudden _ , actually. Maybe you just can't read me as well as you thought." She shrugged, unsure whether she was disappointed or glad that she managed to keep her plans a secret for a few weeks. _

_ "What is that supposed to mean?" His brow knitted in the middle. _

_ She ignored that question. "Or maybe you haven't been around enough to notice." _

_ Kyoya paused, taking a moment to process what had happened so far. Now that he thought about it, she hadn't complained as much about his absence nor about the Host Club recently... "So you're doing this to spite me?" _

_ "Is it working?" _

_ "No." _

_ "I think that depends on the reaction I'm hoping for." _

_ "And what were you hoping for, Sakura?  _ Jealousy _ ?" _

_ She made a face, all humour disappearing from her usually bright features. "Well, are you? Your girlfriend will be flirting with a ton of boys every day and that doesn't irk you at all?" They both knew it irked  _ her _ when it was the other way around. _

_ "Would you have preferred me to get angry and beat any guy who touches you?" he asked sarcastically. _

_ Sakura frowned. "No, I'd  _ prefer _ if you did anything that remotely meant you care that I'm your girlfriend, not anyone else's and vice versa. Like, I don't know, feeling uncomfortable when so many other people fawn over your partner?" _

_ "I'm not as petty as you," the boy answered monotonously, pushing his glasses up his nose. His response or his tone seemed to upset her so he looked her in the eye. "Why does my reaction to everything bother you so much anyway?" _

_ "Of course, it does, Kyo! You and your lack of expression... I never know where I stand with you and that confusion is painful." She sounded exasperated. "Do you even care?" _

_ He did, of course, he did. But Kyoya didn't say that. What came out of his mouth instead was, "This was never a problem before." They got along just fine without him expressing much for most of their childhood. _

_ "We  grew up . We weren't dating before." The next part came out softer. "Like we barely are now..." _

_ "Then maybe we shouldn't." The words came out before Kyoya could actually think them through.  _ What was he saying?  _ He didn't want to break up with his best friend! But far be it from him to take back anything he said. Even if Sakura was looking at him with such wide eyes. Eyes that were always filled with emotion, so much so that he'd grown to read them. He watched as something changed in those blue orbs—from surprise to hurt to anger. _

_ They stayed that way and it would be a while before he saw them change around him again. "Fine." _


	14. Now

Kyoya wasn't sleeping that night. If he was, the sound of rocks at his window would've woken him up anyway. No, instead, he was studying at his desk with earphones plugged in when Sakura started picking up pebbles from his yard and throwing them at what she knew to be his bedroom window. But the music in his ears drowned out the sound of rocks hitting the window and so the girl received no response.

What finally caught his attention was the feeling of being watched. So Kyoya glanced at his window and what he saw there made him jump. "Sakura?!"

The redhead grinned back once their gazes met, bright blue locking with onyx. She was sitting in an awkward position, there in the tree she must've climbed up. The branch she was sitting on looked sturdy but who in their right mind would risk that? That was what Kyoya thought, at least. Sakura only waved innocently to him.

The boy rushed over to the window and opened it so she could enter. Sakura crawled in carefully but miscalculated a step so she tripped over the window ledge and fell into Kyoya, effectively knocking them both over. She winced as she used her arms to lift herself up—off Kyoya's chest.

They stayed that way for a moment, her hovering over him, before she smirked. "You're blushing," she pointed out smugly.

Kyoya was very aware of the fact already, feeling how hot his face was. He glared at her lightly. "Any normal person would."

"Since when were you  _ normal _ ?"

"Since when was I not?"

"I always thought you were a robot."

"Tsk..." He took a deep breath to recompose himself. "Are you insane?"

"No, you really do show robot-like charac—" She started to explain but cut herself short when the boy beneath her moved to get up. They both sat up properly on the floor of his bedroom.

Sighing softly, Kyoya fixed the circular glasses on his face and folded his arms across his chest. "I meant, what are you doing here, Sakura?"

Sakura frowned, shifting in her spot. "Isn't it obvious?" Dressed in a hooded black sweater and fitting black jeans, she had probably aimed for an inconspicuous look but the dark clothing only made her red hair and blue eyes stand out more, in Kyoya's opinion.

He doubted she was here to test her ninja skills so yes, her intentions were obvious. Her perception wasn't the only one to change after that ski trip...

The boy looked at his curtains, pretending to focus on the way they billowed in the wind that entered through his now-open window. "Sakura, we can't be together," he stated plainly, each word stinging him as well. "We got along during the trip so I see how that can be confusing but we've  _ tried _ dating. It didn't work."

There was a silent pause before the redhead spoke again. "You've always confused me, Kyo. I'm used to it."

The use of his old nickname made Kyoya turn to look at her. Blue eyes held a mixture of emotions, making them difficult to read and even more difficult to look away from. Thankfully, Sakura broke their gaze by standing up and going over to his desk. She went through the papers on it but didn't seem to care that it meant he had been doing homework which she must've interrupted. So he waited patiently for the explanation she had yet to give.

"I didn't come for a boyfriend. I want my best friend," she said with a sigh.

He knew what  _ that _ meant. But they hadn't sneaked out in years so why the sudden need to? "Is everything okay?"

"Peachy."

"Are you sure?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yes." Grinning mischievously, she rested her weight against the edge of his desk. "Are you in or what? You're already dressed and all, you nerd, so why not?" She shrugged nonchalantly, not caring if she was interrupting anything.

Kyoya had a feeling she wasn't being completely honest but decided that was all the more reason to go along with this. He stood and went over to his closet to pull out a jacket. And just like that, they were off.

The redhead leading the way, they retraced her steps—through the window she came in, down the tree, through the yard and off Ootori property.

She only stopped running when they reached the middle of town where she slowed to a stop and looked around. Kyoya stood next to her, panting lightly. When he finally regained his breath, she still hadn't spoken a word so he adjusted his glasses and tried to follow her gaze. But he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was she was looking at.

"It's funny," she muttered, sounding like she didn't find it funny at all. "I've hardly ever been here."

Turning, Kyoya blinked at her. "I've seen you around here plenty of times."

The other finally turned to look at him then. "Not enough! I mean... I don't have a favourite pastry from  _ any _ bakery, I never memorized the way to the park from here, I don't have a regular order in any diner—" Lost for words, she gaped and then threw up her hands in exasperation which was thoroughly confusing to both parties.

"Most people don't."

She pouted. "Maybe. I never really thought about it. Even though I don't have all of that, I think I might miss this place if I leave."

"Then don't leave," he replied almost immediately. It seemed a natural response but something about the way the redhead talked made him wonder if she might actually leave town for whatever reason. And that unsettled him.

Sakura paused and then smirked, switching emotions as easily as ever. "Would you miss me, Kyo?"

Kyoya wasn't sure if that trait irked him or relieved him. He expressed the former outwardly, dark eyes rolling behind oval glasses. "Hardly. You know, you could just choose a favourite pastry now. That bakery over there isn't too bad."

"I thought you preferred girls for dessert."

Okay, that definitely pushed some of his buttons. "And I thought you preferred boys, Sakura." Kyoya knew she was joking but this was the topic that had contributed to their break up and he didn't know why but it made him feel defensive. It didn't still bother him, did it?

On her end, the redhead frowned at how quickly her old friend reconstructed the walls around him. "Stop that."

"Stop _what_?"

"Stop being so guarded all the time. We've known each other forever so why don't you start acting like it?"

"If I recall, the past year of our so-called friendship hasn't been that great."

That shut her up. And Sakura hated that. She hated how easily he could finalize any argument by being oh-so-smart. Huffing, she folded her arms. "Fine. Then I call a temporary truce. Again." There was determination set in the blue eyes that stared unwaveringly into his onyx ones. A determination the other couldn't deny and frankly, didn't want to. It surprised him.

"Fine."

It took a moment before they actually got into the swing of things but Sakura seemed quite eager to forget their feud for the night.

So they went to the bakery, her taking her own sweet time picking and choosing the pastries. It was late at night, the store was closing and the baked goods weren't as fresh but she bought plenty anyway as if this was her last chance to.

Then the pair walked around town. It was mostly empty considering the time but that was fine. Both seemed to relax more when they were away from other people anyway.

They talked about a number of random things the whole time and since the redhead almost always had something in her mouth, Kyoya was forced to do most of the talking, as she had commanded. And when she was full (before she even finished all that she had bought), she took the reins and chattered happily too. They walked on and on until their legs got tired. Kyoya was the first to notice.

"We should go sit down. You look like your legs are about to fall off," he remarked with a smirk. That was what she got for all the sneaking around she did tonight...

Sakura's eyes brightened. "To the park!"

He nodded and looked around. "Try to remember the way there this time, okay? Then you can check it off your list." A chuckle escaped him at the memory of her rambling earlier.

Normally, she would've been indignant at the comment but that chuckle... Deep and familiar, it was nice to hear. Eyes closed, she inhaled deeply, breathing in the midnight air and the scent of baked goods that wafted from the paper bag in her hands.

Kyoya smiled warmly at the look on her face. Usually, he'd try to neutralize his expression before Sakura could see it and make a fuss. But maybe he'd keep that smile on this time when she opened her eyes. There was no harm in letting her see it now, was there?

But then he spied a curious figure over her shoulder. Panic sparked in him. He grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her into a gap between two buildings.

"Hey!" she started to protest but was cut off by the bespectacled boy.

"Quiet."

Right then, someone walked past where they hid. They both recognized who it was. Her fellow hostess Hanako skipped along happily but then stopped, close enough to be heard. "Come on, slow pokes! We're going to miss the movie!"

Giggling and chatter took ages to get within hearing distance and then grow in volume. The group of girls didn't once look down the alley where Kyoya and Sakura were, thankfully, and as the voices started to fade, the redhead breathed a small sigh of relief. She giggled.

"It's funny."

Kyoya furrowed his eyebrows. Though they were standing pretty close to one another, neither appeared to be fazed by the intimate proximity. "What is?"

"We used to do this back when we were dating. Hiding and all... There's no need to do that now." Sakura rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Old habits die hard," he answered simply, smiling down at the shorter girl.

Sakura huffed, purposely fanning warm air over the lips across from her. "We haven't done this in ages though."

"We haven't  _ sneaked out _ together in ages."

"We haven't kissed in ages," she pointed out, as if listing all the things they haven't done in a while.

That one made Kyoya frown a little though, confused but some part of him understood. He stared at her and at the steadily growing blush on her cheeks. "Why are you mentioning that now, Sakura?"

She could easily give an excuse but strangely, she heard herself saying, "Maybe because I kind of want to kiss you right now." He didn't say anything, not approving or denying. So the girl leaned upwards slowly. "Kiss me, Kyo," she said softly.

It wasn't a command, nor was it a plea. Nevertheless, Kyoya obliged.


	15. Then

_ The moment Sakura entered the classroom, students converged around her. _

_ Sitting in his own seat, Kyoya kept his eyes on the book he was reading but his ears were perked to overhear whatever it was the others were discussing. It wasn't that difficult, considering how the redhead never really bothered to keep her voice down in all the time he had known her—except when she was talking with him in public but that was rare. Despite that rarity, he silently admitted to himself that he missed it. He missed Akagi Sakura. _

_ The girl herself had long admitted that the feeling was mutual. She had portrayed it in a more upsetting manner than heartfelt, it seemed, if their break up was any indication. But she chose not to think about it for now. She chose to think about the excited questions being thrown at her from her classmates instead. _

_ It got so hectic that she even called for her fellow hostess Aya to help her out—though the blonde was unable to find her voice in such a big crowd. When the timid girl approached obediently, Sakura pulled her to her side and grinned to the person who had asked who the other hostesses were in her new club. _

_ "Aya here was the first one I recruited since I knew you guys would just _ love _ the chance to make her blush," she told them, sticking her tongue out playfully. _

_ The comment made the boy laugh sheepishly. His friend next to him pushed forward a little to be heard. "Shiro said you got Watanabe Yurina to be a hostess too." He laughed. "How did that happen?" _

_ Sakura looked confused for a moment before laughing too. "Oh, you mean Rin ? We're on the basketball team. Trust me, never call her _ Yurina_!" _

_ There were some jokes about how feisty or scary the girl in question was and how unlikely it would be that someone would fall for that. This was, of course, countered with remarks like enjoying a girl with a fire in her. For a moment, Sakura allowed herself to relax a little before the next question came along. _

_ "Hey, I visited the club yesterday and, uh, what's her name? Erika? I've never seen her around school before." _

_ The club president looked sheepish. "Actually, I just met her in the library about a week ago myself..." _

_ "Yeah? What's she like?" _

_ Sakura smirked. "Visit us and find out," she replied confidently, winking. _

_ "Are you going to dress up in costumes too like the Host Club does? I'd love to see Aya in a maid outfit!" _

_ "And Mazawa-kun has a fetish for neko girls—" _

_ "H-hey, I didn't even say anything!" _

_ Aya turned bright red at the notion, much to their delight, while the other hostess almost howled with laughter. "No way am I going to doll up my girls for your pleasure!" She received playful booing and disappointed cries for this. _

_ "What else is different then?" _

_ "Well, we have a coffee bar so you can get Akagi brand coffee for a cheaper price. And Erika's family is sponsoring a lot of the food too." She shrugged. "Indirect advertising, I suppose." _

_ One boy clapped his hands together. "Ah! So Erika-san's family makes pastries!" His friends snickered and made fun of him for being hooked on the mysterious hostess so quickly. _

_ "Hey, Sakura, you're not going to get in trouble for using the same concept as the Host Club or anything, are you?" _

_ She frowned. "I don't see the problem with it... Tamaki! Kyoya!" The redhead placed her hand on her hip and smiled oh-so-sweetly when she got their attention. "You don't mind the Hostess Club being around, do you?" _

_ Tamaki looked up from where he was reading next to Kyoya but the bespectacled boy beat him to the punch, speaking first. "Seems like a petty thing to be bothered about," he said coolly and calmly, inwardly surprised by his own quick reaction. It wouldn't have been such a big deal if it weren't for Sakura's reaction to it. He knew she hated that word... _

Petty_ was exactly what he called her concerns about him being a host. He probably used it on purpose, she thought to herself. Her blue eyes narrowed at him and she clicked her tongue absentmindedly. _

_ "Good," she said curtly. _

_ "Good." If it weren't for the calm smile he gave when he looked up, one might think Kyoya was being snippy too. _

_ Suddenly, the air wasn't as casual as it was before. Sakura and Kyoya stared each other down, both adorning fake smiles on their faces, though one was probably more convincing than the other. After all, the boy had more practice at it. _

_ It was Tamaki who finally broke the tension. "Of course, we don't mind," he cooed in that charming voice of his. His eyes sparkled as he spoke. "Everyone should get the chance to experience the enjoyment of a lovely girl's company." He turned his head to smile at the nearest girl. "Don't you think so too, Katsue?" _

_ Said girl blushed almost as brightly as Aya did earlier. "Oh, Tamaki..." _

_ The scene made Sakura laugh, a bright and happy laugh, at the scene, forgetting the bitter pain of the recent break up for a moment. But it was enough to lighten the mood in the room. The other boys catcalled to Tamaki and Katsue who not-so-discreetly enjoyed the attention. Who wouldn't? When a charmer like Suoh Tamaki spoke so sweetly to you, it was hard not to appreciate it. _

_ Sakura redirected her attention to her ex boyfriend and probably _ ex friend _too. He was already looking at her—in fact, his blonde friend had barely managed to divert his gaze in the first place. The corners of Kyoya's lips had dropped but his expression remained as unreadable as ever. _

_ He had a feeling this wouldn't be the last of this—whatever _ this _ was. Maybe it was high time they ended their secret relationship after all. It didn't seem like they were going to make up any time soon—as if either was willing to admit they wanted to first. _


	16. Now

Despite not getting much sleep that night, Kyoya woke bright and early the next day—and not just because he had school to attend. He was (admittedly) excited to see the redhead again today at school. On his way down to the dining room for breakfast, he met his sister who grinned when she saw him.

"Baby brother," Fuyumi cooed, in a tone that implied she knew something he might not want her to, "where were you last night?"

And there it was, just as he had guessed. Kyoya kept his composure, answering coolly, "What makes you think I was anywhere but in bed?"

"Actually, I know for a  _ fact _ that you weren't in bed last night. Not the whole time, anyway," the older girl retorted, wrinkling her nose. Knowing he intended to study, she had visited his room that night to check up on her brother only to discover that he wasn't there. She grinned again. "You were with Sakura-chan, weren't you?" she asked in an excited whisper.

That certainly wiped the calm smile off Kyoya's face. It only lasted a moment though, before he adjusted his glasses and sighed exaggeratedly. "Typical. My sister finds me missing at night and doesn't even worry."

Fuyumi pouted and smacked her brother's arm. "Well, there were no signs of a struggle and it wouldn't be the first time you two sneaked off together."

"You knew, huh?" The bespectacled boy gave a lopsided smile, looking the tiniest bit embarrassed.

"Pfft, you were  _ kids _ . You weren't that great at sneaking out unnoticed. Just because we didn't talk about it, it doesn't mean I didn't know."

Kyoya thought about it. Was that the same for other things? Like last night's kiss? Neither him nor Sakura said a word about it after but he knew there was something there, something important. He knew he missed his old best friend but maybe their more romantic feelings for each other weren't gone either.

He didn't know how to respond to his sister so he was thankful when they arrived at the dining room. Their father and Akito were there and this wasn't a subject to discuss in front of them so that was the end of that topic. Besides, the moment the Ootori patriarch noticed their presence, he spoke to Kyoya directly.

"Kyoya, do you recall that Akagi heiress?" he asked nonchalantly, folding the newspaper he was reading and placing it onto the space on the table next to him.

The boy had started to sit down but paused for a millisecond that no one noticed. Why was everyone asking about her today? Did they all know? He refrained the urge to cast a glance at Fuyumi, nodding instead. "Sakura. What about her?"

Akito swallowed the food in his mouth to say, "Hey, are you two still hanging out? I haven't seen her around here in ages." A servant came to refill his mug of coffee—brand of Akagi, of course—and others served the newcomers their breakfast.

"Not as much," Kyoya answered truthfully, though that was an understatement. Of course, he planned to change that soon. He looked at his sister—she quirked an eyebrow meaningfully at him. First though, Kyoya was itching to know why Sakura was brought up again... He kept his voice as cool as ever as he picked up his fork. "Why?"

"Well, it seems she's engaged to Nakamura Hiroshi."

There was a loud clang as Kyoya's fork dropped against his plate and then fell to the floor with a dull thud. Fuyumi voiced his thoughts before he could. "What? You mean the heir to Nakamura Incorporated  _ Nakamura Hiroshi _ ?"

Another servant came to give Kyoya another fork before retrieving the fallen one and retreating. The boy murmured a thank you, still slightly in shock but like hell he would let that show.

The Ootori head furrowed his eyebrows at his only daughter. She was behaving strangely. "Yes, of course."

"But..." Fuyumi frowned.

"It's not a big surprise," her father stated monotonously. "Arranged marriages are normal for a woman of her social class. You were no different, Fuyumi."

The girl wrinkled her nose. Yes, she knew, having your spouse chosen for you was not rare in aristocracy. She herself ended up quite happy, loving her husband and vice versa. "Yes, but—"

"Isn't she a little young for this to be decided though?" Kyoya asked as calmly as possible, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"That's right. Sakura is your age, isn't she? And Hiroshi is only a little older than you two," Akito added helpfully, sounding surprised as well.

Their father exhaled softly. "My sources tell me there are a number of similar protests arising already though the public only found out today. Theories of bankruptcy and whatnot, even."

"Really?" Kyoya murmured incoherently. Yet another servant appeared at his side with a folded newspaper on a tray. His father must've told her to give it to him. Kyoya took the paper, opened it and quickly skimmed through to find the article he wanted.

"I'm not surprised at the engagement myself but this definitely could've been handled better. Then again, it could just be gossip rather than leaked information, depending on how reliable their 'anonymous source' is. The photo is circumstantial..."

The rest was lost on him as Kyoya's onyx eyes quickly read the article. When he finished, he read it again. His earlier happiness dissipated. Why didn't Sakura tell him?

Everything happened very quickly after that. He got to school, matters got worse and for the first time in a while, his head wasn't clear enough for him to keep up a good enough cool facade.

Class hadn't started yet so the moment the redhead entered the classroom, Kyoya stood from his seat, walked over to her to grab her arm and then pull her back out their class. He heard Tamaki's confused voice calling after him but ignored it. There were a lot of eyes on them as they left.

After getting over her surprise, Sakura happily followed her old friend into an empty hallway. "What, can't stay away from me?" She chuckled.

They stopped. "What the hell, Sakura? You're  _ engaged _ ?"

Her face changed immediately, smile dropping and blue eyes widening. She stepped back. "H-how did you know?" The answer came in the form a newspaper cutout being tossed at her. Quick reflexes let her catch it and she smoothed it out, eyes scanning the article.

When she looked up, she had a pained expression that broke his heart. She used to be his best friend, after all, but Kyoya wasn't done being hurt either. "Oh, don't stop there. Did you see the school's newspaper too? Everyone was looking at the online version this morning."

"What was on it?" she asked in a soft voice, scared of the answer already.

"It's about another couple this time. Goodness knows the school newspaper is just gossip nowadays but it's hard to argue with photographic evidence." He paused but upon receiving no reaction, he clicked his tongue. " _ Us _ , Sakura. Below the picture of our little kiss was an entire article about how our rivalry might've just been sexual tension."

Sakura didn't speak. She couldn’t.

"Below  _ that _ were a lot of comments that talked about your supposed engagement to Nakamura Hiroshi—the picture of you two in each other's embrace outside your house was quite incriminating."

"That's not what it looks like!" she finally exclaimed. "Neither of us wants to marry, okay? We're just friends."

"Is that why you leaked the arrangement to the press? To cause an uproar?"

"I didn't do that, Kyo."

"What about last night then? Did you want us to get caught because who would want to marry a girl involved in a scandal like this?"

"Damn it, Kyo, that's  _ not _ what I wanted!"

"Then what  _ do _ you want then, Sakura?" he yelled back, breathing heavily.

"I don't know!" She gaped the way she did last night, searching for words and he waited. When she spoke, she sounded desperate. "I don't know who their source is but it wasn't me, none of it. I invited you out last night because I... I wanted to know how you felt about me before I agree to something I'll regret."

"Yeah? And how do you think I feel about you?"

He did his best to not be so angry, Sakura could feel that but she didn't know if that made this better or worse. "Honestly, I'm still a little confused," she muttered.

Kyoya frowned. "Great, me too. One thing I do know though is that I care about you, I always have. But honestly? I wish I don't because if I didn't care, I wouldn't feel like crap right now."

"Kyo, I'm sorry..."

"Me too." He shook his head, onyx eyes filled with pain. "I can't do this anymore. You keep saying I confuse you but  _ you _ confuse me too. You're a whirlwind of emotions, Sakura, and I can't keep up. You’ve made a fool of me. What do you want from me?"

Her eyes mirrored his. She didn't even know how she felt about him. Did she love him or hate him for his always cool self? Did she want to see his reactions because she loved them or hated his constant composure? "I don't know," she said again.

Kyoya opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a loud booming voice.  _ "Hey, lovebirds, get a room!" _ Laughter and catcalling followed.

The boy adjusted his glasses, fixing his facade once again while he ignored the teasing. He took a careful step away from Sakura. "Well, I'm done trying to help you figure it out."


	17. Then

_ Kyoya always used to say she was easy to read but Sakura doubted he knew just how much she was hurting then. She stared up at her ceiling, unable to sleep. Insomnia had always been a problem for her but some nights were worse than others. Tonight was one of those nights. She looked at the digital clock on her bedside table—2:05 AM, it read. _

_What if he _did _know she was hurting and just didn't care?_

_ Sighing, Sakura turned and buried her face in the pillow. She didn't know which was worse... Usually, when her thoughts wouldn't leave her alone, she would've gone to Kyoya's room (wherever that may be) and convinced him to distract her by sneaking out. It would put her right to sleep, somehow. He had always somehow managed to put her mind at ease though he probably did it without realizing. _

_ But now he was  _ the reason _ she was in such distress. "I hate you," she murmured, his face so clear in her mind. _

_ Giving up, the redhead sat up and crawled out of bed. She went over to her desk, clicked her laptop on and sat cross-legged in her swivel chair. She spun around in the chair a couple of times while waiting for the device to whir to life. When she stopped being dizzy, she moved the mouse around. Applications slowly appeared on the screen—not that slowly but Sakura was feeling impatient. She went to the folder of pictures which she had transferred from that camera she got so many years ago. _

_ She went through all the photos, one by one, and Kyoya was in most of them. "I hate you," she said to a photo of them sitting under a tree in the yard on Ootori property. The bespectacled boy had his legs stretched out in front of him, ankles crossed. There was a book in his hands. A younger Sakura was next to him, making faces at the camera. _

_ She remembered now. _

_ Kyoya had just gotten home from club activities and wanted to complete a reading assignment that Sakura had done days ago. She was bored so she kept draping herself over her boyfriend, whining for his attention and documenting his attempt at ignoring her through the camera. _

_ It was quite funny, the transition from one photo to the next. Kyoya looking annoyed... Kyoya rolling his eyes... Kyoya snapping the book closed in one hand and adjusting his glasses with the other... Then the photos were taken from a completely different angle because Sakura had dropped the camera when Kyoya suddenly grabbed the girl by her waist. He had tickled her then but the next picture showed the two of them smiling at the camera, Kyoya hugging his girlfriend from behind. _

_ The present Sakura paused at that one. How could someone who made her so happy manage to make her so angry? It wasn't fair. It took ages of play dates for the pair to really get close but it took one argument to break them apart. _

_ Sure, they had fought before but never so seriously. Either would apologize eventually and if the same were to happen this time... well, Sakura didn't think it should be  _ her _ who gave in. _

_ Kyoya thought the same to himself so that created an impossible situation. Not that she knew this. _

_ So she kept going through the photos until she reached the ones before they started dating. _

_ There was that time on another joint family trip where Sakura had finished the last of the Christmas cookies so she woke Kyoya up early in the morning to help her bake more before anyone found out. _

_It was a disaster, as it usually was when the redhead was in the kitchen back then. The series of photos showed the two of them—mostly Kyoya—preparing the cookie batter. They had found the recipe Sakura's mother used and Kyoya insisted they followed it to the letter. _"Hm, your housewife instincts are really kicking in, Kyo," _she had said after complaining about being so detailed._

"If I do something, I do it right," _he had said, pushing up his glasses in that usual obnoxious way. _"And you never do anything half-hearted, right?"

_ They had always been good at goading each other into doing things, Sakura realized. _

_ In the picture, Kyoya looked quite cute in the apron he wore as he mixed cookie batter in a large bowl. His forehead was creased in concentration because though he wouldn't admit it, stirring a ladle in the thick mixture was difficult. The next picture showed him deadpanned at the camera or, more specifically, the girl behind it because Sakura had poured a whole cup of chocolate chips into the bowl. _

_ There were many other pictures from throughout the activity—including the end result which were half-burnt cookies because they didn't hear the timer go off in time. The smokey smell greeted the rest of their families when they woke and the two kids got a good earful for the mess. It  _ was  _ fun  though. _

_ They had a lot of fun back then and Sakura liked to document every moment of it. But now those pictures brought her pain along with happiness. _

_ Even her favourite photo was bittersweet. _

_ It was one of the few that she hadn't snapped herself but had both her and Kyoya in it. It was that day at the lake house when they had stayed out too long. Their parents had been so worried when they discovered that the two weren't in their beds. After a little searching, Kyoya's sister found them asleep in the backyard, cuddled together on the grass. Sakura's camera was next to her so Fuyumi had picked it up and took a picture of them before waking them up. _

_ They got sick because of that night and had to stay in for a week. But it was a good week. It still brought a smile to her lips when Sakura thought about it so many years later. _

_ It also brought tears to her eyes. Damn it, he made her such a mess and she  hated  that! _

_ Tapping on the keyboard, the young redhead selected all the photos but her finger hovered above the delete key. Was she really going to get rid of all of it? That was why she got up from bed in the first place but now, faced with the decision, could she really do it? She didn't know  _ what  _ she wanted. _

_ It wasn't like this would reset everything or let her forget her pain... Did she want that? To forget? Was her hesitation due to not truly wanting to forget or knowing she couldn't? _

_ Finally, Sakura scowled at the screen of her laptop. "I hate you." _

_ She pulled open a drawer in her desk, grabbed the small flashdrive within and plugged it in. She moved all the photos into the flashdrive and plugged it out. Back when she first got it, she had put a small label on it upon which she could write on. She did that now, writing in English characters,  _ 'Kyoya' _ . Capping the pen she used, she threw the flashdrive back into the drawer before slamming it shut. _

_ She'd have to store it somewhere she wouldn't get access to too easily—to make it harder for herself to give in to the memories. Maybe that house in Niseko? Her family only used it for the occasional skiing trip so she'll hide the flashdrive there the next time she went. Yeah. _

_ Her mind made up, and hopefully finally at ease, the girl returned to bed and crawled under the covers. She buried her face into the pillow, hating how her face was still a little damp from all that reminiscing. "This doesn't mean you win, Kyo," she whispered, her voice coming out muffled but that didn't matter. She didn't know who she meant to say that to. _


	18. Now

"She's _ infuriating_!" Kyoya huffed. "Absolutely petty and self-centered a-and just crazy sometimes. She drives me crazy! She's always been like that, ever since we were kids. Getting my attention only to annoy me..."

Tamaki watched his friend pace in front of him, ranting ever since they got to Music Room 3. Granted, he didn't mind all too much because club activities won't start in a while so he was mostly just surprised to see Kyoya using that time to vent. The bespectacled boy did seem to be in a foul mood these past few days though.

They were alone in the club room today, the others not arriving yet. The blonde raised his hand somewhat awkwardly, sitting cross-legged on one of the couches. "Uhm, Kyoya? Who are we talking about again?"

"_Akagi Sakura_! No one else can get under my skin like she does. Honestly, I don't see how we ever got along. She's so... petty! I mean, a whole year of her life dedicated to eliciting a reaction out of me? Why is she so obsessed with that?" Kyoya had suddenly snapped his head round to look at Tamaki then which made the latter jump. Tamaki shrugged quickly. It didn't matter. Kyoya only needed his ears, not his voice. "Then again, Sakura had never been the most sane of people though I used to think that was part of her so-called charm. She just _ loves _attention, that's it. That's the real reason she became a hostess— What?" He frowned. "What's with that face?"

Tamaki had a lopsided smile on that seemed more confused and awkward than amused. Crossing his arms across his chest, he shrugged again. "I don't know... I always thought you two had a thing for each other."

The other boy's frown deepened as he pushed his glasses up slightly. "You shouldn't believe everything you read. This past year should be enough evidence of that." He shook his head and opened his mouth to continue to explain why exactly he hated his supposed rival but his friend spoke first.

"What about before that?"

"What do you mean?"

"You dated, right?" Tamaki smiled innocently, as if the fact weren't a secret his friend so carefully kept.

Kyoya drummed the fingers of one hand on the opposite arm. Should he even bother trying to hide the past anymore? "How did you know about that?" was his eventual reply.

The blonde shrugged for the millionth time that day, clasping his hands together on his lap. "Daddy knows everything about Mom—"

"_Tamaki._"

"Okay, okay, you don't have look so scary... " He laughed. "Well, you're my best friend, Kyoya. Of course I would notice when you're sneaking off between classes and when you act weird in your own home. Plus, you wouldn't wear perfume but sometimes I could smell it on you."

Onyx eyes stared unblinking through oval glasses. He readjusted them. "You know, you're a lot smarter than you seem." Tamaki snorted a laugh. "Alright then, why didn't you say anything earlier? It would've saved me a lot of trouble." With a sigh, Kyoya settled himself next to his friend on the couch.

Tamaki smiled his usual bright smile, one that was impossible to stay angry at. "I didn't know why you were sneaking around but I figured you had a good reason. Ootori Kyoya never did anything that didn't benefit him," he answered, holding a finger up as if he was giving a lesson.

The other boy scoffed under his breath bitterly. "So you think I'm heartless too, do you?"

"Maybe back then... I didn't get it at first but I stayed out of it. Then I understood that she made you happy. What better benefit than happiness, right?"

Kyoya stared at his friend who looked like the whole situation made sense to him while all the dark haired boy felt was confusion. Was Tamaki seeing something he wasn't? Stubbornly, he turned his face away and looked in front of him. "An interesting notion but we kept the relationship a secret because it was purely experimental and in case it didn't work out, no one would've known."

"How does that work?"

"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"

"I don't get it."

He readjusted his glasses. "I mean, did something really happen if no one knows about it?"

"_You _ know it happened," Tamaki countered. Obviously, he wasn't talking about the tree thing...

"It was Sakura's idea."

"I think she's unable to dismiss it too."

"Okay, so it _ happened_," Kyoya snapped suddenly. "What about it?"

Tamaki stuck out his bottom lip a little, pausing thoughtfully before he answered. "Seems kind of cruel to pretend it _ didn't _happen. It's obvious you care a lot for Sakura and I think she really cares about you too." This made Kyoya think of the night the redhead kissed him. Nostalgia showed in his dark eyes, making Tamaki smirk slightly. "But you're both too stubborn to be the first to admit it."

"You say that with a smile..." The argument died on his tongue as Kyoya considered his friend's words. Sakura had always been a prideful person and while that was great and all, sometimes maybe compromise was required to make something work. Maybe that applied to himself too. Kyoya stood slowly. "Alright, Tamaki." With that, he made his way to the door.

"Where are you going?" the blonde called out but no answer came. Not that he needed it. He had a feeling he already knew.

Sure enough, Kyoya left Music Room 3 to enter the room next to it. Sharp eyes scanned the room but couldn't find the one girl he wanted to see. Three hostesses were too busy setting up the place to notice his presence. He spoke suddenly, stealing their attention. "I want to speak with your president."

Closest to him, Aya squeaked in surprise and whirled around to face him. "K-Kyoya-kun..."

"Your president," he repeated dryly. "Where is she?"

"Which one?"

Kyoya turned his head to see another girl approach. This was the one he saw that night they sneaked out, the one who made him pull Sakura behind a building where they kissed. Dismissing the memory for now, he readjusted his glasses. "What do you mean?"

Hanako shrugged her shoulders, for once not adorning that constant smile on her face. "I can only assume you mean Sakura but _ Eri-chan _ is our new club president now." She nodded her head to where the black haired girl was cleaning a table top with a cloth.

"Why?"

"You can't be a president of a club you're not a part of," Erika spoke up with the slightest tinge of coldness. She lifted her head to see the reaction her tone would elicit. Seeing his baffled expression, her gaze softened. "She just transferred to Lobelia Girls' Academy yesterday, didn't you know?"

It took a moment for Kyoya to answer. "No." Silence descended upon them, as if everyone was thinking of the same thing but didn't want to talk about it.

Aya was the first to speak, her soft voice breaking the silence. "Sakura-chan came to pick up some files today though. We saw her earlier but Rin-chan is still with her a-at the gate. They're probably still there..."

The way she said it implied that she didn't know if the information was of any importance to him. It was. Kyoya nodded his thanks and walked through the doors once more. He wanted to run but was met by the Hitachiin twins in the hallway. They quirked an eyebrow at his exiting of the Hostess Club.

"Kyoya?" one said before the other added, "What are you doing?"

"I'll be back," the bespectacled boy muttered before walking past them as calmly as he could. Old habits died hard. Despite the risk of missing Sakura, he tried to keep his composure. It was only after he rounded the corner did he pick up his pace. And by the time he reached the stairs, he was running.

He ran all the way to the ground floor and once he had the gates of the school within his sights, he slowed down.

There were two girls in embrace next to a short limousine. One wore the iconic Ouran Hostess attire and the other in a dark pink skirt and white blouse. The uniform of Lobelia Girls' Academy. Kyoya knew because the other school had paid a visit to his own last year—that was an interesting adventure.

But his mind was more focused on the girl in the uniform. There was no mistaking that vibrant red hair. Letting the girls have their moment, Kyoya kept his distance and used that opportunity to regain his breath and composure.

Finally, the girls pulled apart. Rin had tears in her eyes though they didn't fall. "Don't you dare lose your touch, okay? You still owe me a rematch," she said sternly.

Sakura laughed and punched the other's shoulder. "Sure."

"Want me to beat him up?"

A thumb pointed over her shoulder to where Kyoya stood. Sakura followed the gesture and their gazes locked for a moment. She turned back to her friend. "Thanks. But I think I can handle him on my own. See you, Rin." Giving the hand in hers one last squeeze, she let go.

Rin nodded uncertainly but walked away nonetheless, giving the boy a wary look as she passed him to reenter the school building. They were alone at last then but Kyoya struggled to find the words he wanted to say. Not that it showed on his face though. "You look nice," he commented gruffly.

"Is that why you decided to come crawling back to me?" the shorter girl quipped with a smirk. "If I had known this was all it took, I would've—"

"Stop that." He exhaled steadily. "Can we both just stop fighting? I think continuously trying to outsmart the other is probably the dumbest thing we've done."

"I'm sorry." Her blue eyes were downcast as she swept a hand through her locks. Huffing once, she looked up. "Before you say anything, I just want to tell you that Hiroshi told me _ he _ was the one who told the press about the arranged engagement. He knew, if no one else, his fangirls would cause an uproar. Enough for our parents to reconsider the whole thing...

"I never intended anything like that when I went to you that night. I-I don't know. I hadn't meant for us to be seen but I guess I wasn't trying hard to hide either. It's my fault, I'm sorry." She bowed in apology.

Kyoya let her stay that way for a moment before reaching out a hand to push on her shoulder so she would straighten. Then the hand slid off the girl to land on the car behind her. Still, he didn't speak and Sakura wondered if he was going to kiss her.

He didn't. Instead, he dropped his hand back to his side and shuffled his feet so he could lean his back against the car. The redhead hesitantly joined next to him. "Hiding gets tiring. I'm sorry too. I knew I couldn't just stay my stoic self in a regular relationship. That's why I wanted to try being in one with my best friend, I thought _ nothing _ had to change. Even when things got serious... I didn't want to change."

"I didn't _ want _you to change, Kyoya."

"Yes, you did. We both had to, a little, if things were to work out." He gave a sad smile, one that spoke volumes, before laughing ludicrously. "You probably don't see it because you didn't have to change much. You made a good girlfriend, Sakura... but a terrible ex, I admit."

"I wish we hadn't started the experiment in the first place then," the girl muttered, not laughing with him.

Kyoya shrugged. "I don't regret that part. I regret how we ended."

Sakura suddenly gave a flirty smirk, hoping to lighten the mood. "We don't have to end just yet," she cooed.

"But you're leaving." The boy frowned and so did she. "And I _ know _you, Sakura. You're not behaving like you're going to visit much, if at all."

"I'll still be town," Sakura said stubbornly. She exhaled. "My parents think this whole Hostess Club thing was a sign that I was going down a bad path or something. And that the recent so-called scandal is the second sign. An all-girls school sounded like a sensible solution."

The bespectacled boy couldn't help but snort a laugh which made the other smile. "But... I think this is a good idea nonetheless. Maybe some time away will help me figure out what I want." She nodded in determination.

"I get it. I suppose I just don't want to lose my best friend again."

Smirking, Sakura pushed herself off the car and faced the boy. "You never really _ lost _me, Kyo. I think... one kind word from you and I would've totally crumbled."

"Hm, and vice versa." The effects of their stubbornness were becoming glaringly obvious now. "I'll miss you, Sakura. Promise you'll visit."

"Sure."

"I _ mean _it."

"So do I."

"No, you don't. I know you."

"And I know _ you_." She seemed to pout then. "You won't miss me."

Kyoya paused and stared the girl down. "Fine, let's surprise each other then. I'll miss you and you'll visit, okay?" He straightened too, towering over her even more.

When Sakura remained stubbornly hesitant to agree, he sighed and patted her head. "Call me if you want to sneak out with someone again. Promise me that, at least."

It took another beat before she answered, "Sure."

"Sakura..."

She laughed. "I'm serious." One hand dove into the pocket of her skirt to pull out a flashdrive. She grabbed his hand and pressed the object into his palm. "Insurance. Hold on to it till we see each other again."

His free hand pushed his glasses up his nose. The flashdrive was labeled with his name written in English alphabets. This was the one they were looking at the other day on the ski trip, right? "How do I know you're not just trying to forget me?" he asked.

"I've tried dumping it somewhere. Didn’t work." Sakura rolled her blue eyes but smiled. "I _ can't _forget you, Kyo."

He didn't know what to say to that so he only nodded and said, "Okay. And I won't forget you, Sakura." Whether she believed him or not was another matter. By the look on her face, the former was a good possibility.

She took a deep breath before snickering. "_ Trying to outsmart the other is the dumbest thing we've don__e_... That was deep." She waggled her eyebrows. "But I bet you can go deeper."

Kyoya readjusted his glasses, rolling his onyx eyes behind them. "I just figured our sharp tongues needed a break from the constant battle."

"But I love fighting for dominance with our tongues!" She made another face before they both burst into laughter.

That was their last exchange before a semi-awkward hug and waves of farewell. Then the redhead entered the limousine and it drove off, away. Until it disappeared, Kyoya watched it and hoped Sakura was watching him too.


	19. Then

_ "Can we go back inside now?" _

_ Sakura pouted. " No way! I'm not sleepy yet." Her friend groaned before collapsing to the ground in exhaustion, curling up like he did earlier. She frowned at him. "Kyo, you're not going to sleep there, are you?" _

_ " _ I'm _ sleepy," he muttered. Kyoya knew he could just get up and leave, he didn't have to indulge Sakura now that she had deleted the incriminating video. But he remained anyway. _

_ "But it's cold." _

_ "I know." _

_ "It's  _ freezing _ ." _

_ "Sakura, shut up." _

_ "But—" _

_ With a growl, he grabbed the redhead's hand and pulled her down to join him on the grass. She fell with a soft  _ oof  _ but laughed. She turned onto her side to see a faint smile on Kyoya's face. She wasn't going to let him win that easily though. Stubbornly, she looked up to the sky and started pointing out random constellations she made up, naming and describing them in detail out loud. _

_ Sighing, the other twelve-year-old gave in, turned onto his back and followed suit. The activity only lasted a few minutes before they both started to feel too drowsy to continue. Neither knew who fell asleep first but they did. _

_ They slept through the night and late into the next morning until Kyoya's sister finally found them. Finding the scene too cute, Fuyumi couldn't resist picking up Sakura's camera next to her and taking a picture of them. Only then did she wake them up. _

_ Spending the night in a cold yard gave both young kids a cold. So as they were getting warmed up in blankets and with hot chocolate, they got a proper scolding from their parents. Not once did Kyoya throw his best friend under the bus and she didn't mention her insomnia. She never did to anyone else. Sakura didn't think she needed to tell anyone else. _

_ As long as her best friend was around, she didn't want anyone else either. Hanging out with Kyoya for a while always helped her get to sleep. _

_ That was why, when everyone else in both their families went out to continue their holiday and the unwell kids stayed home, she crawled out of her bed and crept towards the room she knew the youngest Ootori was in. To her surprise, she met him halfway instead. _

_ She beamed. "Kyo! Did you come to check on me?" _

_ His fever made it a little difficult to keep up his usual cool facade. "No way! I was just about to get more hot chocolate." He folded his arms across his chest. "Tsk, you're welcome to join me, if you want." _

_ Once he received a nod, he led the way down the stairs and towards the kitchen. Sakura had brought her blanket along, still wrapped in it, so it trailed behind her. _

_ She got too tired once they reached the living room and she collapsed onto the couch, saying, "Can you bring my mug to me, Kyo? I don't feel so good..." She curled up on the soft cushions. _

_ "Hm." Kyoya got them the drinks (it was already prepared in a container for them) and brought two mugs to the living room. He sat down on the floor between the couch and the burning fireplace. "Sit up," he told her and she obeyed. _

_ The redhead slid off the couch and took a mug from her friend. They sipped the hot beverage in silence until Sakura broke it with a satisfied hum. "Thanks, Kyo!" _

_ "Hm. Now you owe me twice. First for getting me sick in the first place and secondly, for this." _

_ "Calculative meanie... You should be nicer to someone who's willing to put up with that attitude." She stuck out her tongue at him, making him snort in amusement. There was a pause before she spoke again. "You're not  really  mad at me, are you?" _

_ He stared at her. _

_ "Because I'll stop bothering you, if that's what you really want." _

_ Kyoya pushed up his glasses. "Nah. I don't say it a lot, if at all, but I  do  like you. I wouldn't consider just anyone my best friend." He swallowed the last drop of hot chocolate. When he lowered the mug, he saw a too-bright and too-smug face looking back at him. His eyebrow quirked in confusion. _

_ "What was that?" _

_ "I'm not saying it again, Sakura. Too bad if you missed it." It was his turn to stick out his tongue then. She started laughing and he smiled at that. _

_ Sakura held out her hand as if asking for his. Hesitantly, the boy put his hand on hers, palm side up. Then she put her empty mug onto his palm. "Put it away for me, please?" _

That was anti-climatic _ , he thought. Kyoya rolled his eyes but did as she asked, going to the kitchen to put both their mugs in the dishwasher. When he returned, his friend had curled up in front of the fireplace. After a second of hesitation, Kyoya lied down next to her. She smiled at him and he returned it. _

_ The heat from the fireplace wasn't nearly enough to keep him warm. Kyoya reached out and pulled on the other's blanket. _

_ "O-oi, Kyo!" she whined in protest. _

_ "Share." _

_ "No way!" _

_ "Sakura, you  _ owe  _ me, remember?" He smirked. _

_ With a huff she loosened her grip on the blanket and let the boy pull half of it over himself. Good thing it was big enough for the two kids. But Sakura shuffled a little closer to him, sighing contentedly. Kyoya let her and closed his eyes, hoping they would both finally get some rest. _

_ Unfortunately, neither managed to recover fully throughout the rest of the week. But it wasn't too bad, though Kyoya would deny it if anyone asked. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! Thank you for reading <3


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